Ted Williams 1955 contract garners $48,456

After a bidding war with a total of 32 bids in the final two days, the 1955 major league contract that Ted Williams signed with the Boston Red Sox sold for $48,456 as the leading seller in the Steiner Sports Memorabilia “Spring Fever” auction that concluded May 7.

The contract also included the signature of Red Sox President Joe Cronin and original revisions made by Red Sox attorney Jack Hayes.

The winning bidder asked not to be identified.

Yankees Hall of Fame players from yesteryear spearheaded the next four leading bids.

The $36,716 winning bid on an 8”x10” photograph signed by the Yankees immortal first baseman Lou Gehrig was second on the leaderboard, while an official American League baseball signed by Babe Ruth garnered $20,206.

Mickey Mantle memorabilia nailed down the fourth and fifth spots: Mantle’s 10-karat gold “Career Ring” with uniform #7 in its original Balfour box sold for $16,955, and a Mantle signed baseball with a personal inscription had a final bid of $12,756.

“The action was fast and furious on the Williams contract during the last day,” said Steiner Sports founder Brandon Steiner. “These one-of-a-kind collectibles attract great attention, and sports collectors know that they can always find a priceless memorabilia piece in our auctions.”