Vintage, new baseball memorabilia highlight Americ

The June American Memorabilia auction contains 894 lots, featuring items from sports, music, movies and celebrities. Collectors may bid on items through June 15, and the bidding is already open.

As with most auctions, game-used and autographed items dominate the auction. There are 171 lots of baseball game-used items, and 180 lots of signed baseball items. Football items are well represented with 44 game-worn lots, and 54 signed item lots. Not far behind are the basketball lots of which 35 are for game-used items and 42 are for signed items.

Other unique items available are a 1960s Mickey Mantle game-worn Yankees helmet with a military stencil logo. Another unique item is a Gil Hodges game-used "Stan Musial" model glove. The glove is a Rawlings T70RY "Stan Musial" personal model "Claw" first baseman's mitt which features a floating heel. The glove dates to the period 1953-55, and was used by Hodges.

There are plenty of game-used jerseys available, including: a 1975 Carlton Fisk home, a 2001 Albert Pujols Cardinals rookie home with an American flag patch (right), a 1993 Mike Piazza Dodgers rookie home, a 1958 Phil Clark Cardinals gray road flannel, a 1947 Vern Stephens St. Louis Browns, a 1992 Pedro Martinez Dodgers rookie home jersey and pants, a 2003 Greg Maddux Braves road, a 2004 Curt Schilling Red Sox home, a 1979 Dave Concepcion Reds home autographed and a 1992 Chipper Jones Durham Bulls home jersey signed twice.

There are plenty of other baseball game-used items collectors will be interested in. Some of those include: a 1950s Phillies warm-up jacket, a 1989 Mike Schmidt Phillies jacket from his last season, a 1980s Pete Rose signed Reds dugout jacket and a Pujols-signed warm-up jacket.

Game-used bat collectors will be taking note of the large selection of game-used bats. Two bats of interest are from players who had their playing careers cut short due to tragic plane crashes.

The first is a Roberto Clemente game-used bat (top of page), which was used between 1969-72. The bat is graded PSA GU 8.5, and shows great use with a few ball marks, ball stitch marks on the left barrel, and a light application of pine tar on the upper handle.

The second is a Thurman Munson game-used bat, which was used during his prime, 1973-75, and is graded PSA GU 9.

Other highlighted game-used bats include: a 1928-33 Kiki Cuyler Batrite (PSA GU 7); a late 1970s Lou Brock; a 1984 George Brett; a 1955 Enos Slaughter signed and vault marked; a 1981 Pete Rose signed; notated (PSA GU 7.5); a late 1980s Don Mattingly; an early 1970s Joe Torre signed (PSA GU 6.5); and a 2004-05 Albert Pujols Louisville Slugger with broken handle.

Some of the highlighted autographed items include: a 1931 Yankees team-signed ball with signatures of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri (above); a Tris Speaker single-signed OAL Harridge ball; a 1995 World Champion Dodgers team-signed ball with signatures of Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella; a Ty Cobb handwritten five-page letter (PSA sig graded 9); a Babe Ruth signed counter check (PSA Mint 9); and a Ty Cobb signed and dated postcard (PSA Mint 9).

Most of the highlighted game-worn football items are from the 1980s or earlier. That said, the jersey of a player that was drafted in the 2006 NFL Draft is primed to overshadow the vintage jerseys. That jersey would be a 2003 Reggie Bush game-worn, signed USC freshman jersey in unwashed state. To American Memorabilia's knowledge, this is the first Bush gamer to become available commercially.

Other highlighted football items include: a 1973-74 O.J. Simpson game-worn jersey with three repairs worn during his 2,003 yard season; a Larry Wilson early to mid-1960s Cardinals Durene warm-up jacket; a late 1960s Larry Wilson Cardinals Rawlings helmet; a Claude Humphrey game-worn Pro Bowl helmet; a Charley Taylor game-worn; inscribed and signed Redskins helmet; a 1977 Joe Namath game-worn Rams jersey; a 1992 John Elway Broncos game-worn Orange Crush style jersey; an early 1970s Jim Marshall Vikings road jersey; an early 1970s Carl Eller Vikings purple mesh game-worn jersey; and a late 1980s Reggie White Eagles game-worn jersey.

Highlighted football signed items include: a 1969 Joe Namath signed, inscribed Life magazine; a Ben Roethlisberger game-used signed football; and a 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champs team-signed commemorative helmet including signatures of Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and Jerome Bettis.

Highlighted basketball items include: a 1990 Magic Johnson game-worn and signed All-Star complete uniform; a mid-1960s Jerry Sloan game-worn Bulls home jersey; a circa-1976 Artis Gilmore game-worn Bulls home jersey; a mid-1960s Bob Boozer game-worn Bulls warm-up jacket; a 1992-93 Michael Jordan game-worn Bulls jersey; a 1995-96 Patrick Ewing game-worn Knicks jersey; a 2001-02 Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks road jersey; and a 1996-97 Shaquille O'Neal Lakers game-worn jersey with NBA's 50th Anniversary patch.

There are plenty of other items available. For more information, go to www.americanmemorabilia.com.