WOW!!!! Auction for Kirk Gibsons' items from Dodgers

[jcmtiger]

For Gibson's charity in Michigan.

Joe



LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) — A father-son sports collectors team from Santa Barbara bought the bat Kirk Gibson used for his historic home run in the 1988 World Series for $575,912.40 early Sunday in SCP Auctions' October/November auction, and also took home the four other Gibson artifacts on sale.

Chad and Doug Dreier of the Dreier Group paid $1.19 million for the five items, which included Gibson's home run bat, his game-worn Los Angeles Dodgers jersey ($303,277.20), batting helmet ($153,388.80), NL Most Valuable Player Award ($110,293.20) and World Series trophy ($45,578.40).

"We are thrilled to keep this amazing collection of baseball history in Southern California," Chad Dreier said.

Proceeds from the sale of the World Series trophy and MVP award will benefit the Kirk Gibson Foundation.

Also, a 1934 Babe Ruth professional-model bat used by Ruth to hit career home run No. 702 sold for $137,865.60, a Ty Cobb H&B side-written professional model game-used bat went for $75,330, and a 1953 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-worn, autographed road jersey sold for $62,256.

The bid for Gibson's bat is the second-highest amount paid for a game-used bat, behind only Babe Ruth's signed bat used for the first home run at Yankee Stadium that SCP sold in 2004 for $1.265 million.
__________________
"Ty Cobb, Spikes Flying"

[brass_rat]

I was floored when I saw those prices...I understand money goes to charity, but how many people wanted to bump up the prices that high? There are plenty of charity auctions that don't haul that type of money...

Confused,
Steve

[terjung]

Very strong prices, but they are pretty incredible items too, IMO.

I can't think of a more memorable home run in my lifetime (age 38).
Sure Fisk's HR in Game 6 over the Reds was certainly way up there, but the Sox didn't go on to win that series, so the Gibson HR outranks that one in my book.

Given Gibson's injury and the "he'll either hit a HR or a get an out" at bat against the strongest closer of the day, made it a defining moment of baseball lore. All in all, those are some phenominal pieces of memorabilia...

[jimm]

Yes, very high, but that's one of those "Where were you when" moments in Baseball history, somewhat recent or not.

.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by brass_rat

...but how many people wanted to bump up the prices that high?

Apparently, at least two.

[Matt]

Congrats Doug!

[cardinalcollector]

"I don't believe what I just read" !

[autograf]

Congrats to Doug & Chad.....great items for an already great collection!

[Jacklitsch]

Originally Posted by autograf

Congrats to Doug & Chad.....great items for an already great collection!

+1

[baseballart]

+1 +1. Great people, and congrats.

[prewarsports]

As a 34 year old, I had never seen anything like the Gibson HR when it happened and still have seen nothing else like it 20 years later (Save maybe the Boise State Fiesta Bowl game a few years ago). I remember I was heavy into Strat O Matic Baseball that year with my friends and Eckersley was unhittable. Possibly the best year for a closer in ML history and the situation for Gibson was the closest thing to a story book ending as anything in Sports.

If I was a billionaire, I would have bought em!

Congrats to Chad and Doug, now you guys just need Roy Hobbs' jersey from "The Natural" to go with it!

Rhys

[Griffins]

There are no better people to safeguard history than Doug and Chad.

[danc]

It was the simple greatest baseball moment in my lifetime that I witnessed. In saying that, those prices are absolutely insane.

After all, what does that make the Mookie ball now after it was purchased for what, $80,000 like ten years ago by Seth Swirsky? How about the pine tar bat? That has to sell for at least $200,000 of Gibby's bat brings over a half a million?

DanC

[quinnsryche]

Great that the charity is getting a sizeable donation. AWFUL for the hobby as every goof out there now will think that their stuff is worth a fortune. Those prices are absolutely ridiculous and actually hurts the majority of the hobby (collectors and dealers alike). We are all not million/billionaires and can afford to pay astronomical prices for everything we like. Sure it's an iconic game, but it only ended game 1. Is the Joe Carter SERIES winning bat worth a million dollars because it's more important? What about Thompson's or Mazeroski's bats, 2-10-100 million, where does it stop? Just a little rant, sorry bout that!

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by quinnsryche

Great that the charity is getting a sizeable donation. AWFUL for the hobby as every goof out there now will think that their stuff is worth a fortune. Those prices are absolutely ridiculous and actually hurts the majority of the hobby (collectors and dealers alike). We are all not million/billionaires and can afford to pay astronomical prices for everything we like. Sure it's an iconic game, but it only ended game 1. Is the Joe Carter SERIES winning bat worth a million dollars because it's more important? What about Thompson's or Mazeroski's bats, 2-10-100 million, where does it stop? Just a little rant, sorry bout that!

I think it is totally irresponsible on the part of anyone who complains about prices of items that have been auctioned off (and I am NOT singling Tony out here. There were several "rants" in this thread.) It comes off as pure, unadulterated, sour grapes. Auction prices are what they are, a point in time that reflects what someone is willing to pay, on a given day, set by how much the underbidders were willing to pay.

The fact that we "are all not million/billionaires" and "can't afford to pay astronomical prices," is inane, at best.

Do you complain when a Picasso or a Monet goes for "ridiculous" prices? Doug and his family run a museum, and an incredible one at that. Period. They paid what they had to, in order to keep a collection together.

There is no difference between your "rant" and that of a $25 collector complaining that you won a T206 for $250. You're arguing about the placement of decimal points.

I can't think of one better place I would rather have this collection go, than to Doug and Chad. Even if it had gone to the HOF, it would have ended up in their warehouse most of the time.

Outstanding pick up!

[Rob D.]

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

[Jim VB]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

I think I have it figured out.

[Matthew H]

Originally Posted by Rob D.

I only wish I knew their bidding strategies.

Win.

[tbob]

Originally Posted by cardinalcollector

"I don't believe what I just read" !

LOL. +1. Nice take-off on Jack Buck's famous line.
I agree with one of the posters, how much does that make Maz' bat worth? In my mind there is no comparison and I would think Maz' HR series winning bat and the ball would be astronomical now.
Edited to add- what does that make the "and we'll see you tomorrow night" Kirby Puckett bat worth?????? It's at least as significant, if not more than Gibson's bat.

[D. Bergin]

I don't see the prices as out of line compared to other items we have seen sell in the past.

Especially considering the provenance.

I'm still not quite sure how they can pin down Babe Ruth hit #so & so HR with this exact bat.

For anybody lucky enough to witness this moment as it happened, whether on TV or at the Park............I've never seen a more dramatic baseball moment in my life. Maybe there have been more important HR's, but this was one of those chills up your spines, you'll never forget pieces of drama.

Eckersley on the mound and up a run, gets the first 2 guys out. The former Athletic, Mike Davis, who turned out to be a bust with the Dodgers, works a walk. Davis doesn't normally take walks, and Eckersley doesn't walk guys. If that doesn't happen, Gibson never gets a chance to come to the plate. Gibson limping out of the dugout, obviously in lots of pain. Eckersley goes 0-2 to Gibson and in the process he lines a shot just to the right of the right field foul pole. That's it we figure, that was Gibson's one shot, because Eckersley doesn't give up HR's either. Gibson works the count to 3-2.

Eckersley hangs a pitch just a little too high and Gibson doesn't miss it this time. With one of the most awkward looking HR swings I have ever seen, Gibson pivots his bad knee directly in front of Home plate and connects with the sweet spot of his bat.

I don't think anybody watching it could actually believe what they just saw.

[Griffins]

Well said Mssrs. Bergin and Van Brunt.

[Jerry G]

I was lucky enough to listen to Jack Buck create magic on the radio and TV for over 40 years. He stoked the fire for my love of baseball.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoid=42851829

[dstudeba]

If you extrapolate the price of the Gibson pieces to other pieces ie. Maz, Carter, etc you are not going to come up with a proper value. Will you have two people as interested in those bats as were interested in the Gibson one? Maybe, maybe not.

It was important enough to two bidders to warrent the price. Hell Dave Henderson's 1986 ALCS home run bat is more important to me than Gibson's, and I would pay more for it than Gibson's, but that doesn't matter because I am not winning either of those pieces.

A charity got some good money, some nice collectors are happy with their win, and people are complaining? I didn't realize there were that many underbidders.

[terjung]

Originally Posted by Griffins

There are no better people to safeguard history than Doug and Chad.

Well said. Doug and Chad are unquestionably top notch.

[E93]

Originally Posted by Griffins

There are no better people to safeguard history than Doug and Chad.

+1

Great people. Phenomenal collection. Extremely generous with the way they share it.

JimB

[tinkereversandme]

What does +1 mean?

If someone wants to overpay for something (especially charities) and they have the means, let them. How much will this item sell for "the second time around", as we saw many of the items purchased at Halpers auctions sell for far less then what people paid for them. How much is McFarlane's baseball collection worth of he sold them today? Would he even get 25% of his investment back?

I once tried to win Sammy Sosa's historic 9th home run baseball from the 1998 season. I was thinking "why not purchase something historic from a historic season and there will only be like 60 or so ever!". It sold for like $8,000. I got caught up. It's probably worth $300 now.

Do I think the bat is worth this money? Nope, but who cares what I think. If I was wealthy, I would love to own the bat. For sure, but I'm not, so it doesn't matter. If it goes to great fans and collectors, even better. If this bat gets chopped up into squares for insert cards, then we should form a mob with lit torches.

Larry

[autograf]

The market will bear what the market will bear at the time things sell. In this instance, the purchasers appreciate the importance of the item and likely understand it might not sell for more if they have to sell it in the future. They truly appreciate the history of the items.

[GoldenAge50s]

Regardless of who got it, for what reason, good guys or not, charity or no charity, etc---The price was unbelievably high!

[TexasLeaguer]

I just went back and watched the whole bottom of the ninth of that game, and it's unbelievable. What great a great setting and surrounding cast too...Lasorda, Hershiser, Eckersley, Lansford, McGuire, Canseco etc. If I had to pick a bat to own though, I think I'd rather have Black Betsy.

[Rich Klein]

Before I saw who won the item I wanted to point out.

And that is, on top of everything else, these items are close enough to what we call the "20-year" mark when collectibles are near the top of their interest.

One of the great traits of when many of us started was that people were collecting their youths, and although money is tighter today - for many people who were 8-15 in 1988 this is now the era where they are beginning to have $$$ in pockets and want to relive some of the memories of their youth. And on top of that; let's face it -- 88 Topps and Donruss are two of the most overproduced and kept products on the face of this earth.

So, the cards don't matter but other items do and these Gibson pieces fit right in and then for a charity/non-profit write off, geez.

That's a recipe for success.

Rich

[Bilko G]

Originally Posted by tinkereversandme

What does +1 mean?

It means the person is agreeing with what others are saying. If they quote someone else then add the "+1", that means they are agreeing with that person.