baseball

Tiffany & Co. Makes San Francisco Giants World Series Ring

Tiffany & Co. has produced the World Series championship rings for the San Francisco Giants. While they won the MLB World Series in 2010, the baseballs stars are only now getting their rings now. Previously they were given inexpensive "decoy" rings - which was seen as a joke.

With the start of a new baseball season the team now gets their ring. Plus, one extra ring was made that will be raffled-off by the Giants for charity. The Tiffany & Co. made World Series ring is everything a star athlete could hope for. The ring is mostly in 18k white gold, with some yellow gold accents. It has 77 diamonds on it, which are placed in various spots on the ring. There is about 1 carat worth of stones. The top of the ring has the San Francisco Giant's "SF" logo, surrounded by the statement "World Champions." On one side (shank) of the ring is a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with "2010." The other shank will have the name of the ring recipient engraved on it.

Really a nice ring overall and very handsome. This is the first ever ring Tiffany & Co. has made for the MLB World Series. Though Tiffany & Co. has been enlisted in the past to create championship rings for other sports such as football.

As mentioned, Tiffany & Co. has produced one extra San Francisco Giants World Championship ring that will be raffled-off to support the Giants Community Fund. The raffle for the SF Giants championship ring can be found here, and will last until July 26, 2011. As I am in San Francisco I can freely say, "Go Giants!" And thanks Tiffany.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, baseball, championship, giants, mlb, ring, san francisco, SF, tiffany, world series

Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.19 Million at Auction

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Charity, Sports

Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.9 Million at Auction

AP reported that a father-son sports collectors team from Santa Barbara bought the bat that Kirk Gibson used for his historic home run in the 1988 World Series for $575,912.40 on November 14 in SCP Auctions' October/November auction, and also took home the four other Gibson artifacts on sale. The bid for Gibson's bat is the second-highest amount paid for a game-used bat, behind only Babe Ruth's signed bat used for the first home run at Yankee Stadium, which SCP sold in 2004 for $1.265 million.

Chad and Doug Dreier of the Dreier Group paid $1.19 million for the five items, which included Gibson's home run bat, his game-worn Los Angeles Dodgers jersey ($303,277.20), batting helmet ($153,388.80), NL Most Valuable Player Award ($110,293.20), and World Series trophy ($45,578.40). Proceeds from the sale of the World Series trophy and MVP award will benefit the Kirk Gibson Foundation to continue Gibson's support of Michigan State University athletic programs and to help fund his partial scholarship programs at Clarkston (Michigan) H.S. and Waterford (Michigan) H.S., in honor of his parents, who were educators at those schools.

Other items that found new homes at the auction are a 1934 Babe Ruth professional-model bat used by Ruth to hit career home run No. 702 ($137,865.60), a Ty Cobb H&B side-written professional model game-used bat ($75,330), and a 1953 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-worn, autographed road jersey ($62,256).

Gallery: Kirk Gibson's Artifacts Bring in $1.19 Million at Auction

Tags: auction, baseball, bat, charity, Dodgers, Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles Dodgers, sports

Reggie Jackson's $1 Million Ferrari & More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports

A rare 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder (above) formerly owned by both baseball great Reggie Jackson and famed daredevil Evel Knieval is expected to fetch up to $1 million at RM Auctions' annual Automobiles of Arizona sale in Phoenix on January 20 – 21. The car is one of a number of stunning Ferraris on offer in the stunning auction taking place at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa (previewed by my colleague Noah Joseph), including a gorgeous 1966 Ferrari Superfast Series I, estimated at $900,000 – $1 million; a fully-restored 1950 Ferrari 166 Inter Berlinetta, est. $400,000 – $600,000; a well-known 1995 Ferrari F50 Show Car, est. $600,000 – $800,000, the very first F50 built; and a stunning jet black 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC. Other classic European thoroughbreds set to cross the block include a 1921 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost Phaeton, est. $350,000 – $475,000; a 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Newmarket Sport Phaeton, est. $300,000 – $450,000; and a 1958 Aston Martin DB2 Mark III, est. $200,000 – $250,000.

Gallery: RM Auctions' Arizona Ferraris

Tags: Arizona, Aston Martin, auction, baseball, celebrity, celebrity cars, classic cars, Ferrari, Reggie Jackson, RM Auctions, Rolls-Royce, sports

Comprehensive Baseball Collection Seeks New Owner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Baseball is still America's pastime and baseball memorabilia remains popular but one collector has amassed what has to be one of the most incredible collections gathered by a single person. The Jason Savas Baseball & Football Memorabilia Collection is practically a museum on its own. The collection took over 45 years to put together and includes thousands of objects dating from the 1860s to the present. The most expensive items have been auctioned already. These included tobacco tins and cigar boxes that fetched $10,000 to $20,000 each. There is still much more to choose, lighters, cigarette packs, replica gloves, swizzle sticks, baseballs, key chains, bobbleheads and photographs that depict generations of players and tell the history of the sport.

A special section of over 500 items tells the story of the effect of Babe Ruth on the nation. It's one thing to know that Ruth had a great impact on the game but quite another to stare at shelves stuffed with full-cheeked depictions of the legendary Yankee. Too big for shelves, there are 37 coin-operated sports-themed penny arcade games and gum ball dispensers that harken back to a more innocent time. A muto-scope offers a staccato look at the long-ago players in motion.

"Unlike my baseball card collection which was neatly organized and tucked away in shoe boxes in the closet, I was able to display my stadium concessions on shelves," says Savas. "What started as a hobby evolved into a passion over the next 45 years. Over the subsequent years, the sports memorabilia hobby has seen an immense increase in interest in displayable collectible items. Collectors all across the country have found that these display type items can be enjoyed on a full-time basis as they decorate their basements, offices, and dens."

The total value of the collection is $600,000. The owner is paying a 10% commission to whoever finds a buyer. To arrange a viewing in New York City email theamazingcollection@yahoo.com. Check out images from the collection here or view more YouTube videos here.

Tags: baseball, baseball memorabilia, collectible, collectibles, collecting, collection, Collections, football memorabilia, memorabilia, sports collectibles

Hotel Commonwealth's $755/night Red Sox Suite

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Boston's Hotel Commonwealth has created a Red Sox suite for those Fenway Fans – or Fenway taunters – more comfortable with the yellow seats down by the field. For $755 overnight you can lock yourself in a suite well stocked with Red Sox relics: Ruth, Agglanis and Conigliaro baseball cards, photos of Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams, and balls autographed by Johnny Pesky, Carlton Fisk and Jim Rice.

At the end of memory lane, suite guests can pass the hours around game time at either of the two plasmas – one in the living room, one in the bedroom – and watch the 2004 and 2007 runs to the World Series trophy and Ken Burns' "Baseball" series. The hotel fitness center is where they can work off the gift basket with Baby Ruth candy bars and baseball cookies, and it's probably best for everyone involved that the Commonwealth omitted the beer guy and his plastic cups. If you're nice, you might be able to get the 24-hour room service attendant to throw you a Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar...

Gallery: Hotel Commonwealth's Baseball Suite

Source

Tags: baseball, boston, Boston Red Sox, fenway, hotel commonwealth, Red Sox, sports, suite

Which Baseball Team Is It Most Expensive To Go See?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Baseball season is just beginning, time for peanuts and Cracker Jacks and a fresh hope that your team will make it to the World Series in October. Which team does it cost the most to cheer on? The annual study by Team Marketing Report reveals that the Chicago Cubs have the highest average ticket prices in baseball. The average price for Cubs tickets is $52.56, just a handful of change above the Boston Red Sox at $52.32. But the Red Sox win when it comes to a more real evaluation, the FCI. The FCI is the fan cost index, the cost for the average family of four to attend a game. The FCI takes into account prices for two adult tickets, two children's tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four hot dogs, two programs, two baseball caps and parking for one car. An afternoon at Fenway will run you $334.78, a full $18 more than seeing the Yankees, who ruled last year with a steep FCI of $410.88. The league average FCI is $195.13.

The best bargain is the Los Angeles Angels with a FCI of $124.90. The average FCI is down as many teams are offering cheaper concession items or other discounts. The Yankees are still on top when it comes to premium seats. The Team Marketing report says the average premium seat at Yankees Stadium is $312.11, far down from last year's price which topped $500 but still steep enough for the top slot.

Tags: baseball, chicago cubs, fan cost index, fenway park, red sox, sports tickets, ticket prices, yankee stadium, yankees

Baseball Slugger Receives Diamond-Studded Thank You

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports

Remember the good old days when baseball players were rewarded with perhaps a few words of praise or a beer from the boss? Those days are long gone. Today's players want the bucks and the bling. Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez won the 2009 National League batting title and his reward from Marlins team owner Jeffrey Loria was a diamond-studded necklace.

Ramirez had a .342 batting average last year and so Loria had the necklace inscribed in diamonds with ".342" using a teal diamond to market the decimal point. The entire design uses 394 diamonds proclaiming "Hanley Ramirez 2009 N.L. Batting Champion." On the reverse it is inscribed "Congratulations--Jeffrey Loria". The Palm Beach Post reports that Loria joked with Ramirez that if he hits .394 this season they will do something else. The pair have an interesting rapport. The Palm Beach Post article says that Ramirez had approached Loria wondering if he would be doing anything to celebrate the record. In reply Loria asked Ramirez for his shirt size. Later he put the necklace in a shirt box as a surprise.

Ramirez can't wear his new jewelry on the field, there is a team policy banning long hair and jewelry. He has said that he will keep it in his safe and wear it once in a while. On April 9, opening night, the first 5,000 fans will get a replica necklace with cubic zirconia.

Tags: baseball, bling, florida marlins, hanley ramirez, jeffrey loria, shortstop

A-Rod's $100,000 Baseball

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Sports

On February 4, 2010 an on-line auction was concluded for the baseball Alex Rodriguez hit to secure his 500th career home run. A-Rod was the youngest player to do so and only one of a total of 22 players to ever attain the distinction of hitting that many homers. The ball in question brought in $103,579.00. The only other Yankees to achieve the goal are two of the greatest, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.

The auction was conducted by SCP Auctions who stock their auctions with quality baseball memorabilia and cards. They are also responsible for the successful sale of Barry Bonds record breaking 756th home run ball for $752,467 in September of 2007. The company has over the years partnered with Sotheby's to sell some of the most important items in baseball history including the bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium ($1.265 million) and the original contract for the sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1919, as well as private collections of other sports superstars such as Ernie Banks, Honus Wagner, Casey Stengel and Pee Wee Reese.

The fan, supposedly a New York area college student, who originally caught the ball on August 4, 2007 had kept the ball in good shape and you could even see where A-Rod's bat connected with the ball. Also, MLB had in expectation of the important at bat pre-marked the ball "A 107" and then after the home run placed a hologram with a serial number on the ball. This insured that the anonymous Internet buyer is assured that they are receiving the real deal. There was some discussion by the New York Daily News that the ball was sold for much less than it might have garnered due to steroid use by baseball players. It also could just be the economy, still not a bad take for a fan just out for a day at the game.

Tags: A-Rod, alex rodriguez, AlexRodriguez, auction, baseball, baseball memorabilia, BaseballMemorabilia, home run ball, HomeRunBall, memorabilia, New York Yankees, NewYorkYankees, sports memorabilia, SportsMemorabilia

Lenny Dykstra's Patek Philippe and More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports, Wealth

My colleague Deirdre Woollard has been entertainingly chronicling former baseball star Lenny Dykstra's travails in bankruptcy court. Now it seems the hard-charging athlete-turned-entrepreneur is trying to raise a little ready money by selling off some of his prized possessions. Among the lots at Patrizzi & Co.'s Dec. 14th Exceptional Watchmaking Masterpieces auction in NYC is Dykstra's 18K white gold Patek Philippe (above) made in 2004. The fine and rare annual calendar timepiece shows the phases of the moon and has a power reserve indication. Estimated at $28,000 - $ 35,000, it comes accompanied by a photograph of Dykstra playing with the New York Mets. Also included in the sale are two major pieces of Dykstra sporting memorabilia: a 1986 New York Mets World Series trophy and plaque, estimated at $18,000 - $25,000; and a Silver Slugger Award from 1993 with a Louisville Slugger bat and National League Player of the Week 1990 plaque, estimated at $12,000 - $16,000.

UPDATE: Dykstra's Patek sold for $28,000, on the low end of the estimate.

Tags: athlete, bankruptcy, baseball, Lenny Dykstra, LennyDykstra, Patek Philippe, PatekPhilippe, sports

Yankees Win! Celebrate with Autographed 2009 World Series Baseballs

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Yankee fan or not, I think we'd all like to pitch the first ball of the World Series, or get the double play at second base, or even be the bat boy for the big game. Part of the American consciousness centers around baseball and every fan, from the little league team players to the old timers who remember when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn, was tuned into the great spectacle that was the World Series.

The closest most of us will ever get to being a part of history is watching from the stands munching on our peanuts or Cracker Jack popcorn. There is hope, while we may never take the field, we can own a piece of history. A lucky few will catch a foul ball at a World Series game but the rest of us will have to purchase one from Steiner Sports.

Steiner Sports has a Derek Jeter Autographed 2009 World Series Baseball for sale. In September of 2009 Jeter collected his 2,722 breaking the long standing record held by Lou Gehrig for 70 years. This accomplishment just added one more accolade to the resume of this former Rookie of the Year and current captain of the team. The baseball is hand signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity for $500.

If A-Rod is more your style you can pick up an autographed 2009 World Series Ball that is the first of its kind. While A-Rod has already hit more than 550 home runs and played in more than 10 All-Star games it is Alex Rodriguez's first trip to the World Series. Therefore creating a unique opportunity for the serious collector, available for $400 with a Steiner Sports Certificate of Authenticity.

A signed ball is a very cool piece of history to own, just don't let the dog get hold of it!

For those of you who wish the old stadium was still around and think there has never been and will never be players like the greats of times past you can indulge in collectors items as well. There is a hand signed Mitchell and Ness 1956 Mickey Mantle Yankees home Jersey signed by the great himself offered for $7,500.

The ultimate combination of old and new can also be had, one can sit in front of the flat screen in the living room in a pair of seats from the original Yankee Stadium signed but current Yankees stars. Derek Jeter/Mariano Rivera/Jorge Posada/Andy Pettite have jointly signed a pair of seats form the old stadium. This limited edition series of 96 is being offered for $1,900 a pair. Just think next year you could have the best Yankees seats in the house, your house!

Tags: 2009 world series champs, 2009WorldSeriesChamps, A-Rod, autographed baseball, AutographedBaseball, baseball, Derek Jeter, DerekJeter, Mickey Mantle, MickeyMantle, sports celebrities, SportsCelebrities, World Series, WorldSeries, Yankees

Phillies Win Game One: Get Your Team Memorabilia Now

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art, Sports

phillies memorabilia

While the New York Yankees might be thought of as favored to win the 2009 World Series, we can all use a healthy reminder that the Philadelphia Phillies mean business. After all they are the 2008 defending champs, talented and hungry for the title too. The Game 1 win might be a sign of things to come.

Already the Phillies are ahead of the game compared to the prior match up between these two teams. The last time these two teams met in the World Series, in fact the only other time, was in 1950 when the Yankees swept the Phillies 4-0. That was when the Yankee dynasty was in full throttle and their triumph over the Phillies was just the second win in what would be a streak of 5 consecutive World Series titles.

If you need a physical reminder of the success experienced by last year's Phillies team just check out the collectors' items and memorabilia offered for sale by Steiner Sports. A signed photograph of the team celebrating their 2008 victory is a great image of the joy the whole city experienced. This was the first major championship win for any Philadelphia team in any sport for over 30 years. The 16" x 20" 2008 team signed photograph has 20 signatures from the 2008 championship team. A limited edition of 100 retails for $2,500 each.

Ryan Howard, the National League MVP, hit two doubles an drove in the final run of the first game of the series. I bet some little league player would love a chance to swing an autographed bat in the privacy of their own backyard. Howard has signed a black game model bat that can be picked up from Steiner Sports for $700.

Given the bat is black, some lucky fan might even be able to win the argument that it qualifies as home decor and hang it in the living room as an elegant piece of art.

Gallery: More Phillies Memorabilia

Tags: autographed, baseball, memorabilia, New York Yankees, NewYorkYankees, Philadelphia Phillies, PhiladelphiaPhillies, world series, WorldSeries

Celebrate the 2009 World Series with Steuben Crystal Baseball Bats

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Events, Sports

Calling all Yankees and Phillies fans, check this out.

For the baseball enthusiast who is also a discerning collector Steuben adds a classic twist on memorabilia with their Major League Baseball Collection. The new Steuben design features a regulation size bat made of the finest pure crystal. This is the same design used for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award presented by Chevrolet, and given to Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays this year.

Both the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies bats are engraved with the teams logos. Even if your team didn't make it to the World Series this year, don't despair! The complete collection includes bats for each and every team in the American and National leagues. The regulation-size bats are retailing for $6,650 a 30% discount off the regular price of $9,500. The collection includes smaller bats as well as other pieces for the collector who wants a high quality engraved item at a lower price.

What might seem to be an unusual partnership is really a unique match between two American classics. All the pieces in the MLB collection are handcrafted by Steuben in their Corning, NY factory. Each piece is made by skilled artisans, carefully inspected and signed with a diamond-tipped pen. Any piece that is discovered to have imperfections is destroyed as there is no second best for Steuben or Major League Baseball.

Tags: baseball, crystal, Phillies, Steuben, World Series, WorldSeries, Yankees

World Series Tickets Already Available

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

After last night's game the New York Yankees are hopeful that their World Series dreams are about to come true. And their fans are hopeful too, jumping on the first round of World Series tickets which went on sale this morning. Prices range from $51 to $1,706. Tickets in the Legends area run from $731 to $1706 and offer a close-up view of the action. In order to accommodate more fans the Yankees will make 59 Café seats per game on the Field Level concourse available for $156 per ticket and approximately 220 standing room tickets per game for dedicated standing locations on the Field and Main Levels available for $104 and $93, respectively, per ticket.

Source

Tags: baseball, mlb, sports, tickets, world series, WorldSeries, yankees

Bret Saberhagen's Home On The Market

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Sports

As long as I have baseball on the brain tonight with the playoffs going on I figured I'd show you the home of former major league pitcher Bret Saberhagen. Saberhagen, who played for the Kansas City Royals, the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox, owns a home in Calabasas, California which he recently put on the market. The rebuilt, renovated and remodeled gated compound is on 1.2 acres that includes two guesthouses, a putting green, horse show and bocce ball arena and a 5,600-square-foot main home. Details in the main house include a home theater with eight recliners and a 90-inch screen, a wine cellar that can seat 12 and a family room with a wet bar and multiple flat screen system for watching multiple sporting events. Outside in the cabana there is another flat-screen television so you are never too far away from the latest scores. The decor is a bit heavy on the sports bar look but you have to like a player who displays not just his own but lots of other jerseys on his walls. The LA Times Hot Property column reports that Saberhagen is looking to move a little closer to the ocean but plans to stay in California. This home is listed at $3.25 million.

Gallery: Bret Saberhagen in Calabasas

Source

Tags: baseball, bret saberhagen, BretSaberhagen, calabasas, celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate

Continue reading “Bret Saberhagen's Home On The Market”

Rare Baseball Photo Sells For Record Price

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

The historic photo shown above could soon be displayed at Yankee Stadium. The near-mint condition photograph is signed by 30 members of the legendary "Murderer's Row" 1927 New York Yankees team and was recently purchased for a record $350,000 which is the most ever paid for a vintage sports photograph. Joe Orlando, President of PSA/DNA Authentication Services in Newport Beach, California which certified the authenticity of the autographs says that the price is nearly 70 percent higher than the last time this autographed picture was sold in an auction less than three years ago. The purchase by an anonymous buyer was brokered by

Memory Lane, Inc. of Tustin, California which also sold the autographed photo for $206,000 in a December 2006 auction.

The 1927 Yankees have been described as the greatest baseball team of all time, winning 110 games and losing only 44. The signatures include names which still resonate today including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Orlando says that several other team-signed copies of this photograph exist but some of the autographs on those pictures are so-called 'clubhouse' signatures, signed by other players or other ball club personnel. The autographs on this photo were personally obtained by Yankees pitcher George Pipgras who passed down the photo down to his daughter, LeMorn Pipgras Simpson who later sold it for $80,000.

Gallery: Most Valuable Baseball Collectibles

Joe DiMaggio's rookie New York Yankees uniform

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Tags: baseball, sports memorabilia, SportsMemorabilia, yankees

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