‘Deflategate’ Ball, Ruth Jacket, Paige Ring Highlight Lelands Auctions

As one of the oldest auction houses in the sports industry, Lelands is known for attracting big prices and offering unusual items that can't be found in other venues.

As sellers of Babe Ruth's 1920 N.Y. Yankees jersey for $4.4 million and Red Pollard’s saddle he rode on the back of Seabiscuit for $104,260, Lelands knows big-ticket items.
The latest auction runs through July 17 and includes everything from original paintings to rare cards and autographs to more horse racing mementoes. View all of the lots at www.lelands.com.

Let’s start with items related to baseball Hall of Famers. Lelands is dipping into the Babe Ruth bucket once again, this time offering the Bambino’s 1945 Esquire All American game-used jacket.

Ruth is also an integral part of the finest 1939 HOF Induction signed first day covers to ever hit the market. The FDC, signed by Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Tris Speaker and eight others, has been graded Mint 9 by PSA.

Another highlight is a panoramic photo from the 1911 Addie Joss Benefit Game at Cleveland’s League Park, held just weeks after the Hall of Fame pitcher passed away at age 31. This game was thought of as the first all-star game, though not recognized by MLB. Among those pictured are Cy Young, Cobb, Hal Chase, Speaker, Walter Johnson and Sam Crawford.

The big-ticket items continue with Willie Mays’ 1961 Gold Glove Award, Harry Hooper’s Boston Red Sox game-used cap, a Ruth Tour of Japan signed photo, a box seat from Yankee Stadium in 1923 and pieces from Joe Jackson’s scrapbook. Lelands will also offer an example of the 1869 Peck & Snyder Cincinnati Red Stockings CDV, the large version, slabbed “Authentic” by PSA.

In keeping momentum after offering The Seabiscuit Collection of Chris Lowe at the beginning of this year, Lelands will feature a Man O’ War match race-worn saddle and items related to Secretariat, including a halter, winner’s blanket and morning workout saddle cloth dating to 1972-73.

In other sports, a 1972 Bobby Orr NHL All-Star Game worn jersey is in the lineup, along with Muhammad Ali’s fight-worn robe from a bout against Jean-Pierre Coopman in 1976.

Pop culture items will also be a force in this sale, with a 1964 Beatles signed postcard graded PSA 9 and a collection of 14 Time Magazine original cover paintings. Among the subjects covered in the paintings are Sigmund Freud, Joseph Stalin, Frank Leahy and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

And finally, Lelands will offer one of the footballs involved in “Deflategate” from the 2015 AFC Championship game – from the play in which LeGarrette Blount scored on a rushing touchdown against the Colts and tossed the ball to a fan in the stands.
For more information on this sale, call (631) 244-0077 or visit www.lelands.com.