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Baseball Fans Can Take It With Them After All

Filed under: Sports

Their die-hard devotion to their team, that is. Eternal Image offers Major League Baseball-licensed urns ($799), caskets ($4,499, coming soon), and headstone markers ($199).

Each MLB Urn is made of die-cast aluminum with a clear coat finish and sits atop a "home plate" base. The urn has a baseball display dome at the top for a favorite collectible baseball. Thirteen teams currently are available: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals.

The MLB Caskets (see gallery photos) will feature the same teams as the urns. The first eight to be ready will be Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals. The caskets are crafted from a proprietary composite and decorated with wood and metals. The interior fabric features the team logo and colors for the pillow and fabric trim.

The MLB Medallion Headstone Markers, available in all 30 teams, are a half-pound of solid bronze and can be fixed to headstones and monuments of all types. The markers are painted in team colors with long-lasting, all-weather paint.

What they won't think of.

Joe DiMaggio Watch Up for Auction

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

Joe DiMaggio's WatchJoe DiMaggio's very own watch is up for auction this holiday season; not just the same kind of watch he used to wear, but the very watch.

It is a Wittnauer (Longines) Electro-Chron, which was the first watch in the world to require a battery, and the last to come before quartz technology. It comes with a tuning fork.

The watch is engraved on the back with:

Old Timers' Day
7-28-62
Joe DiMaggio


The Electro-Chron also happens to be a deal; It recently sold at Christie's for $13,750 and is now available here at Antiquorum for an estimated $10,000 - $12,000.

[via Hodinkee]

Edgardo Alfonzo in Little Neck, New York

Filed under: Estates


Former New York Mets baseball player Edgardo Alfonzo would really like to sell his home. Alfonzo has reduced the price on his home in Little Neck, New York multiple times. It went on the market in late 2006 for $8 million and has now been lowered at least four times since then and as Newsday's Real LI column reports, is now listed at $5.1 million. Alfonzo paid $900,000 for the property in 1999 and has spent nearly as much in remodeling. The five-bedroom home includes a theater room and the lower level includes a batting/golf cage. The small backyard includes a pool. Can he sell at $5.1 million or is he going to have to lower the price again?

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Steve Finley On The Beach, Estate Of The Day

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping, Sports


Baseball player Steve Finley and his wife, interior designer Amy Finley are looking for a big profit from their house in Del Mar, California. The Wall Street Journal's Private Properties column reports that the Finlays played a mere $1.54 million back in 1995. The 2.500 square-foot home is located on a small lot directly on the beach and has some very stunning views.

The couple have a development firm and already have made a good real estate profit earlier this year selling a home they bought around seven years ago for $1.7 million for a neat $12.5 million. Will lightning strike twice for these savvy investors? Tempting details in this home include limestone floors, bright white spaces and lots of glass to showcase those amazing views. The home has six bedrooms total including a private upper master site. A separate lot across the street offers a two car garage. This home is listed at $21.5 million and is listed through Barry Estates.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.


Tampa Bay Rays Holed Up At The Hotel Du Pont

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports


The Tampa Bay Rays may have gotten kicked out of their Philadelphia hotel after the World Series was extended due to rain delay but they ended up in luxurious digs in Wilmington, Delaware. The team stayed at the Hotel du Pont, a historic hotel that has seen presidents, celebrities and its fair share of famous athletes before. How do they like their Wilmington stay? Tampa Bay Rays reliever J.P. Howell told the AP "this place in awesome." It turns out that traveling secretary Jeff Ziegler had to call 21 hotels before finding a hotel with enough rooms for the team and staff. The team found iit a nice place to cozy up and wait out the cold rain that has dogged this Series. Before the Rays moved in the hotel was offering a World Series package touting the fact that the hotel is a half hour drive from the Philadelphia Phillies Home Field, Citizens Bank Park and offering a special package that included valet parking, a la carte breakfast and a Phillies or Rays-themed Chocolate Mousse Baseball Bombe welcome amenity from $149 and up per room. Alas, the change of venue didn't bring the Rays any luck in the Series.

Alex Rodriguez Selling His Homes, Estates of the Day

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping


Baseball player Alexander "A-Rod" Rodriguez has been in the news a lot lately and it hasn't been for his skills on the baseball diamond. A-Rod is currently going through a divorce and is rumored to be Madonna's new man. He's also dropped a bit of real estate on the market. The Real Estalker recently had a piece on the New York and Florida properties he has up for sale.

Rodriguez and his ex-wife Cynthia have put their four-bedroom unit at the Trump Park Avenue on the market for $14 million. The apartment has been renovated for today's casual buyer with a large family room and open kitchen space. The listing for the apartment is here.

He has also put his home in Coral Gables, Florida on the market. The Mediterranean home built in 1952 was purchased by the Rodriguez family for $12 million in 2005. The home sits on the water with more than an acre of land and has six bedrooms, a pool and a three-car garage. The grand home does have some rather dramatic choices in wallpaper but the pool area and outdoor space is lovely. It is listed at $14.876 million.

UPDATE: As of January 2009, Rodriguez has done some major price chopping. The NYC apartment is down to $10 million and the Coral Gables home is listed at $12.3 million, not much more than he paid for it.

SECOND UPDATE: The NYC home has sold and the Coral Gables home is now listed at $9,999,999 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.


Mets Sell Out Luxury Suites At New Ball Park

Filed under: Sports


Wall Street may be in turmoil but that hasn't affected the need for luxury baseball suites yet it seems. Bloomberg reports that the New York Mets have already sold out the luxury suites in their new stadium, Citi Field. These 49 suites start at $250,000 a year and go up to $500,000. Mets season-ticket holders are also renewing even though the prices for the team's first season at the new $800 million ballpark are higher (the top ticket price is $495). All this at a time when the financial services sector, traditionally a big spender on luxury suites for sporting events, is rapidly bleeding jobs. Dave Howard, the team's executive vice president for business operations, has said that troubled companies Lehman, AIG and Bear Stearns were not purchasers but Citigroup did pay $20 million a year for naming rights.

Not to be outdone, the New York Yankees are also moving into a new ballpark next season that has 56 luxury suites in four different categories and a top ticket price of $2,500 a game. The NY Times reports that those suites are also nearly sold out too.

UPDATE: Bloomberg reports that the Yankees have seven luxury suites unsold at $600,000 a pop and that they expect to sell out.

Win A Yankee Stadium Proposal

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports


If you've ever thought you might want to do the stereotypical baseball stadium proposal, here's your chance to do it without having to spring for the rock, provided that you are a Yankees fan. Jewelry retailer Michael C. Fina, Hearts On Fire diamonds and N.Y. Yankees All-Star pitcher Mariano Rivera are offering a contest called The Final Engagement. Fans who write a short essay (250 words or less) describing why they should be chosen will be entered into the contest to win a 1.5-carat Hearts On Fire diamond engagement ring valued up to $40,000, plus four tickets to the Sept. 18 game and to propose live via the Diamond Vision screen. Winners will be chosen based on love of the Yankees as well as a creative and persuasive essay. For each entry, Michael C. Fina and Hearts On Fire will donate $1 to the Mariano Rivera Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits underprivileged children. The contest ends August 31.

[via National Jeweler]

Ballpark Pens

Filed under: Writing Instruments


With more and more famous ballparks either disappearing or getting redone each year, these Ballpark pens might be your last chance to get your hands on a bit of history. The pens are andcrafted from salvaged wooden stadium seats. THe barrels and disc at top are made from wooden seats from historic stadiums. The pens ship with capless rollerball refill but can also use Parker style ballpoints and each is laser engraved with the name of the ballpark and years in existence. The prices vary depending on the stadium. Fenway Park sells for $250 and Yankee Stadium is $190.

Jose Canseco Admits Home Foreclosure

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping


Add another sports figure to the ranks of the celebrity foreclosed. Baseball player and controversial author Jose Canseco has walked away from his $2.5 million home in Encino, an area of Los Angeles. Canseco has said in an interview that it didn't make financial sense to keep paying the mortgage on a home that was "basically owned by someone else." Canseco cited his multiple divorces as another factor in his financial woes. It sounds like Canseco isn't facing the dire financial situation that some other people (Latrell Sprewell for example) have faced but merely opted out. His nonchalance seems a bit cavalier at a time when people are really agonizing over their homes but it seems in the interview that he is keenly aware that his situation is different from others who are struggling.

Yankees Offer Pricey Tickets For 2009

Filed under: Events, Sports


If you want to get a deal on Yankees tickets you might want to try to go in 2008. The New York Yankees will charge $500 to $2,500 for seats near home plate in the first 5 to 8 rows of their new park which opens in 2009. The Yankees have already gotten commitments to buy for all 122 of the front-row seats.

The $1.3 billion ballpark will have 1,800 Legends Field Suite seats in 25 sections ringing home plate, with seats 20 feet closer to the infield than they are now. The ticket price also covers food and non-alcoholic drinks as well as access to a private entrance, elevator and concourse and the all important private restrooms. The seats will be cushioned and have teak arms. If you want these seats, you have to make a serious commitment, the seats must be bought for three, five, seven or 10 seasons with a specified scale of price increases. ESPN says that New York has lease commitments for 29 of 47 luxury suites selling for between $600,000 and $850,000 and there will be a 74-seat Club Suite priced at $700 per ticket.

These pricey seats have raised some eyebrows but the price of the suites does allow for cheaper seats elsewhere in the stadium. Bleachers will be $12 and the grandstand will be $20 and $25.

Limited Edition Volvos For Sporty Preppies

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos


Are you a sporty preppy type? I'm sure to some that's a compliment while to others it's an insult but regardless, Volvo has come up with 2 limited edition models that are geared towards Red Sox baseball lovers and sailors. The Red Sox limited edition C30 will only have 107 cars, each in the custom shade of red, the team logo on the back hatch, fender badges, and a few other details. The Ocean Race Edition Volvo, which will be available to a larger crowd, will be available in a limited edition of 9,000. Buyers will have a choice of color (Ocean Blue or Electric Silver) and nautical themed details extend from ocean-inspired wheels to special stitching on the interior leather seats.

The World of Rare Baseball Cards: Honus Wagner Still Highest Priced

Filed under: Sports

Wikipedia still reports it as one of the seminal moments in the trading card collecting field: In February, 2007, a 'near mint-mint' Honus Wagner sold for $2.3 million. At that point it was probably the highest sale a baseball card in history.
Then, in September last year, the same card was sold again. This time it went for $2.8 million to a private collector.
The card in question, a T206 Honus Wagner, was made by the American Tobacco Company in 1909. There are estimated to be fewer than 100 in existence. This card was once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky and has been called the 'Mona Lisa of Baseball cards.' It may be so rare because Honus Wagner himself didn't want his image to be used to sell tobacco and stopped production of the his card, or at least that's part of the mythology surrounding the famous card.
Honus Wagner was a shortstop who played in the major leagues from 1897 to 1917. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, receiving more votes than Babe Ruth. He is considered by many baseball historians to be the greatest shortstop of all time.

Teixeira in Texas, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates, Sports


The Real Estalker Mama was a little harsh on this one but I don't think the Westlake,Texas home of baseball player Mark Teixeira is all that bad. Especially if you are a golfer. It's located in the posh Vaquero development which offers residents a Tom Fazio golf course, swim center, fishing ponds a fitness center and a clubhouse. The house itself has four bedrooms and is nearly 7,000 square feet. Teixeira, who is a first baseman, used to play for the Texas Rangers but currently plays for the Atlanta Braves (he recently signed up for a one-year contract so he will be there a while longer. He and his wife purchased the home in 2005 for $3.99 million. His Texas home has a bit of that dreaded modern Tuscan look going on but it really isn't terrible. It's got a nice negative-edge pool with a nice outdoor entertaining area. Sure it's a little stodgy and Pottery Barn catalog-like but it seems like a home that looks like it would be on MTV Cribs and many people would find it charming. Not my taste perhaps, but not bad at all. As the Real Estalker Mama did mention, the couple did show admirable decorating restraint when they could have really could have ridden the train to tackytown. And even though the library has a staircase in it, the wood-paneled walls are delightful. It is listed at $5.75 million.

Dallas Billionaire's Jet Does Double Duty

Filed under: Wings, Sports

Dallas billionaire and sports team owner, Tom Hicks is able to do something a lot of other billionaire sports owners are not, he gets double duty from his new Boeing 757. Not only is his hockey team, the Dallas Stars using the plane but his baseball team, the Texas Rangers, will use the same plane once their season comes around. The plane probably won't be too much help for his other sports ownerships, Mesquite Championship Rodeo and 50 percent of the English football (soccer) team Liverpool FC.

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