1933 Lou Gehrig All-Star Game pendant, historic baseball artifacts attract six figures at MLB All-Star auction

Ninety-one years ago, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig starred in the very first MLB All-Star Game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park on July 6, 1933.

Ruth, who hit the first home run in All-Star Game history, and Gehrig, his New York Yankees teammate, led the American League to a 4-2 win over the National League All-Stars.

Winners of the winning AL squad were each presented with 14K gold pendants to commemorate their victory. The pendant presented to Gehrig highlights the 20^th annual MLB All-Star Week Live Auction presented by Hunt Auctions.

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Only a few examples of the gold pendants have ever been offered at a public auction, with most of them coming from lesser-known players or team officials. Gehrig’s pendant sold for $305,500, tripling its high estimate.

The live auction, held in conjunction with the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, featured hundreds of historic artifacts from some of the greatest players and teams in MLB history. Hunt Auctions has served as the Official Auctioneer of MLB All-Star Week’s fan festival for the past 20 years. This year’s event was held at the Capital One All-Star Village in Arlington, Texas. 

“We are excited to travel to Arlington, Texas for the 2024 Live Auction during MLB All-Star Week,” Hunt Auctions President David Hunt said. “Each season, the Midsummer Classic brings the very best of baseball to cities and fans across the country. For the last 20 years, our annual live auction has showcased the very finest historic baseball memorabilia from former players and single-owner collections with numerous world record prices established. Hunt Auctions is proud to once again carry on this anticipated tradition with one of the most impressive offerings of that two-decade tenure.”

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Also featured are professional model bats from such baseball legend as Ted Williams, Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Babe Ruth. 

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The Ruth bat is dated to 1923-25 and was recently discovered in California. The 40.6-ounce bat was graded GU 8 by PSA/DNA and sold for $117,500.

Another standout is a rare original Honus Wagner cabinet photograph by Carl Horner, the portrait image used for Wagner’s iconic 1909-11 T-206 tobacco card. Originally from the archives of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, it sold for $117,500.

Other auction highlights include a 1967 Mickey Mantle MLB All-Star Game professional model baseball bat sold for $88,125.

For more auction results, visit Hunt Auctions. 

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