The sports portion of the EAC Gallery February auction will be highlighted by several signed Babe Ruth items.
In addition to the Ruth items, the 562-lot auction will include a mixture of popular sports memorabilia, as well as items from historical figures throughout America's history. The sports portion of the auction will be dominated by autographs of Hall of Fame players, including baseballs, bats and photographs.
The first Ruth item is an 8-by-10 inch signed photo (top, right) from his playing days. The photo features Ruth in his Yankees uniform leaning against bunting at Yankee Stadium. The photo is signed and inscribed "To Matty Martin From Babe Ruth."
Another Ruth item available is a rare Chemical Bank & Trust check signed "G H Ruth" filled out in Ruth's hand (top, middle). The check is dated June 30 1937, made payable to "Cash" and signed a second time on the back "G H Ruth."
One final Ruth item is a vintage red and blue stitched Babe Ruth Home Run Special ball single signed and incribed on a side panel "To Edwin R Bigelow From Babe Ruth."
There are several other highlighted sports items in the auction, including: a Mel Ott 8-by-10-inch signed photo; a Muhammad Ali and LeRoy Neiman signed limited-edition serigraph; an Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods 16-by-20 inch photo signed from Upper Deck; a Michael Jordan signed limited-edition "Breaking Through" display from Upper Deck; and a Sandy Koufax signed "Breaking Through" display from Upper Deck.
With 175 baseball lots in the auction, baseball items are the major force of the sports portion of the auction. Autographed baseballs in the auction include: a Roberto Clemente; an Elston Howard single-signed; a 1951 World Champion Yankees-signed Harridge official AL ball with Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio signatures; a 1936 National League All-Star team signed Frick official NL ball including autographs from nine Hall of Famers; a 1976 American League champion Yankees-signed MacPhail official AL ball, which was Thurman Munson's rookie season; a 500 Home Run Club members signed Giamatti official NL ball featuring Mantle and Ted Williams; one dozen Cal Ripken Jr. autographed "2131" Budig official AL commemorative balls; and a Yankees and Dodgers signed Cronin official AL ball including 10 Hall of Famers.
Other highlighted baseball items include: a Hall of Famers signed HOF bat containing more than 50 signatures; Major League Greats signed books archive; a Derek Jeter original painting; a Hall of Famers signed book, including Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams; an owned and used vintage Parker pen and pencil set used by Joe DiMaggio; an owned and used Greater Milwaukee Open pens set used by DiMaggio; a huge collection of Yankees 8-by-10-inch signed photos; a vintage Yankee Stadium seat; a Mike Piazza signed, game-used bat from Elite Sports; a DiMaggio signed, limited-edition Danny Day giclee; and a collection of 107 Perez-Steele cards, 45 of which are signed.
Other sports items in the auction include: a LeBron James signed, limited-edition jersey set, with all three jerseys signed; a James-signed, limited-edition "Breaking Through" display from Upper Deck; a Michael Jordan signed basketball from Upper Deck; a 1969 Super Bowl champion Jets team-signed helmet from Steiner Sports; a Wilt Chamberlain and John Havlicek signed limited-edition lithograph; a Glenn "Pop" Warner autographed letter, signed multiple times; a Nicklaus signed, limited-edition leather mini-golf bag from Upper Deck; a Pele signed Nike soccer cleat, with full name signed; a Pele signed Brazil soccer jersey, 1970s style; and a 1980 gold medal USA Olympic hockey team 16-by-20-inch photo signed.
As with all EAC Gallery auctions, autographed items from historical figures throughout America's history are plentiful. This auction is no exception.
Leading the way is a Benjamin Franklin autographed letter (left) signed as Minister Plenipotentiary to Court of France. Not far behind is a Bruce Lee document signed contract for "The Green Hornet."
Other highlighted historical items include: a Robert E. Lee Mexican War dated signed letter; an Abraham Lincoln document signed three times; a Lincoln war dated letter signed as President; a Thomas Jefferson signed document; a Thomas A. Edison signed manuscript; a The Beatles signed photo, signed in 1963; a Thomas Jefferson and James Madison document signed as President and Secretary of State, including Presidential Patent and also signed by Levi Lincoln; and a Harry S. Truman letter signed as President.
Many of the items from this auction are previewed in an advertisement on pages 18 and 19. For more information about this auction, visit www.eacgallery.com. Bidding ends on Feb. 8.