On August 2 in Baltimore’s Camden Yards, and part of the National Sports Collectors Convention, Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night Auction will feature 116 lots presenting an amazing selection of some of the rarest and most significant pieces in the hobby. The finest known Babe Ruth signed ball and his only known 1927 game-used bat, 1912 Red Sox World Series Trophy and Ali’s “Thrilla in Manila” fight-worn trunks are among the vast array of sports treasures to be offered on this highly-anticipated night.
Unquestionably, one of our most intriguing pieces in the entire auction is a circa 1915 University of Kansas Jayhawks game-worn basketball jersey — the oldest known example from the famed hardwood institute. Derived from the family of an early member of the Kansas athletic department, and apparently its unofficial team photographer, it was discovered along with an assortment of both home and road photos in the mid-1990’s.
An appreciation for the significance of this offering should not be confined merely to those with a Jayhawk affiliation, as the roots of the sport are firmly planted in Kansas soil. This is a true, seminal artifact of the origins of the organized game, and a fitting cornerstone for any advanced collection on the theme. [Heritage Auctions]
