A year ago, the “final out baseball” from the Red Sox-Cardinals World Series, was retained by Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and became the focus of great controversy and an important part of Boston team history.

This year, the bat used by Houston’s Orlando Palmeiro, who grounded to short for the final out of the Series, (that’s 6-3 if you’re scoring, Jose Uribe to Paul Konerko), is being put up for auction by Geppi’s Memorabilia Road Show.

The White Sox won the game 1-0, and swept the Series 4-0 for their first world championship since 1917. White Sox fans had waited 88 years for this moment.

The online, one-item auction will be posted at www.gmrs.com, on December 1, with bidding culminating on December 18. There will be a minimum bid of $1,000, with the estimate coming in at $75,000-$150,000. There is no reserve. While bidding is expected to come from throughout the nation, it could be that some lucky White Sox fan may have one sensational Christmas gift – a remarkable piece of White Sox history.

“There has probably never been an item quite like this offered at auction before,” noted Steve Geppi, the company President. “Imagine having Willie McCovey’s bat from the last out of the ’62 Series, the one that sent a line drive to Bobby Richardson for a 1-0 Yankee victory. We’re guessing that this winds up in the hands of a great Chicago collector, or a Chicago sports bar, but a winning bid could come from anywhere given the historic nature of the moment.”

Palmeiro, an 11-year veteran who broke in with the Angels after playing college ball at the University of Miami, hit .284 for the Astros last season, and was pinch-hitting for Brad Lidge in game four, facing Chicago closer Bobby Jenks. Palmeiro is a native of Hoboken, N.J., a city which makes claim to being the site of the first organized games of baseball in the 1840s. He is one of ten players in major league history born in Hoboken, with another being the Yankees’ Johnny Kucks, winning pitcher of the seventh game of the 1956 World Series.

Wouldn’t it be something if the winning bidder also happens to have the bat used by the Giants’ Lew McCarty, who grounded to second for the final out of the 1917 World Series?

Geppi’s Memorabilia Road Show is unique in obtaining all consignments directly from sports insiders, notably players, their families or their representatives, or those who worked in the industry.

The company is headquartered at 1966 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, Maryland 21093. The telephone number is 877-ROAD-SHW. (877-762-3749) or +011 (410)427-9456 outside the US. The website is http://www.gmrs.com.