Ted Williams Collection highlights 21st Louisville Slugger auction by Hunt Auctions

Hunt Auctions’ 21^st annual Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory live auction features over 500 lots of historic baseball memorabilia, including valuable items from the personal collection of Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

Online pre-bidding ends Friday, Nov. 15 at 10 p.m. ET. Pre-bids/ceiling bids left at huntauctions.com will be executed during the live auction on Nov 16. After online pre-bidding closes, the auction will move to the live format, with bidding available via phone, absentee, in person and online.

Hunt Auctions offered an initial group of materials from Williams’ personal collection at a landmark live auction at Fenway Park in Boston in 2012. The current offering is the second installment of items retained by Williams’ daughter, Claudia, who passed away suddenly in December at age 52.

“It is with both great pride and an element of sadness that we present this group of materials from the personal collection of Ted Williams,” Hunt Auctions President David Hunt said. “The items we now present are those from her father, which Claudia cherished and reserved for her personal collection. I was privileged to represent Claudia on behalf of her father and only hope that this very special offering will continue to celebrate the incredible legacy of Ted Williams, which she carried forward during her time with us.”

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The collection is comprised of items spanning Williams’ playing career and post career, including historic awards and limited-edition autographed items. Among the highlights are Williams’ 1946 AL MVP award and his 1958 AL Batting Title silver bat. Williams hit .342 with 38 home runs in 1946 and won his sixth batting title in 1958 with a .328 average. Both awards have a presale estimate of $150,000-$300,000.

Other highlights from the Ted Williams Collection include:

• Ted Williams Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by George H.W. Bush (Est. $25,000-$50,000).

• Williams Hitter.Net hat worn for the 1999 All-Star Game Ceremonial First Pitch at Fenway Park (Est. $5,000-$10,000).

• Series of 1,941 limited-edition Williams autographs (Est. $100,000-$200,000).

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• 10 autographed Hall of Fame commemorative baseball bats (Est. $5,000-$7,500).

• 50 Ted Williams autographed prints (Est. $5,000-$7,500).

The auction also features the collection of Rutherford Hayes Jones, a pioneer in the District of Columbia, where he served as business manager for the “Washington Giants Base Ball Club,” one of the earliest African American teams predating the Negro League teams of the 1920-30s era. According to Hunt Auctions, the collection “stands as one of the most important archives of materials with relation to the formative period of organized baseball within the African American Community.” A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the collection will benefit the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame.

“The Rutherford Hayes Jones collection, which pre-dates the Negro Leagues of 1920, had rested undiscovered within a suitcase from1960 to 2001,” said Dwayne Renal Sims, NLLHOF founder. “I am elated to see this unknown archive of historic objects to be unveiled and shared with the public for the first time within the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Live Auction event.”

Highlights from the Rutherford Hayes Jones Collection include:

• 1907 “History of Colored Base Ball” by Sol White, with scarce supplemental pages (Est. $8,500-$15,000).

• Brooklyn Royal Giants team cabinet photograph c.1908-10 (Est. $5,000-$10,000).

• 1910 Bruce Petway-autographed letter with important content, including Rube Foster (Est. $5,000-$10,000).

• 1906 Nat Strong-autographed Philadelphia Stars letter (Est. $2,000-$4,000).

• 1910 Nat Strong-autographed Cuban Giants letter (Est. $1,500-$2,500).

• Washington Giants team cabinet photograph c.1910 (Est. $1,000-$3,000).

Other highlights from key memorabilia collections include:

• Babe Ruth single-signed baseball (PSA/DNA 7 NM) (Est. $25,000-$50,000).

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• Babe Ruth single-signed baseball with photographic provenance (Est. $5,000-$7,500).

• Rare Ruth model baseball bat by Bean Bros. c.1915-19 (Est. $5,000-$10,000).

• April 18, 1864 letter from Civil War soldier injured at Gettysburg with excellent baseball content (Est. $2,500-$5,000).

• Ted Williams Wilson Sporting Goods advertising display c.1950s (Est. $2,000-$4,000).

• Pete Rose 4,000th career hit baseball (Billy DeMars provenance) (Est. $75,000-$150,000).

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• Ted Williams professional model baseball bat c.1940-42 (Est. $25,000-$50,000).

• Willie Mays professional model baseball bat c.1965-69 (PSA/DNA GU 10) (Est. $20,000-$40,000).

• 1981 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles professional model road jersey (possible first MLB jersey) (Est. $25,000-$50,000).

• Jackie Robinson autograph 1947-66 Exhibit postcard (PSA/DNA 9 MINT) (Est. $25,000-$50,000).

• Orlando Cepeda presentational 1967 NL MVP award plaque (Est. $7,500-$15,000).

• 1953 Roy Campanella World Series professional model baseball bat (Est. $7,500-$15,000).

Online pre-bidding ends Nov 15 with the live auction on Nov 16.