Sotheby's and SportsCards Plus to Sell Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards on June 10, 2005 On Friday, June 10th, Sotheby's and SportsCards Plus (SCP) will offer more than 350 lots of Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards, spanning the history of baseball, basketball, football, boxing, tenn
from the estate of Hall of Fame catcher Ernie Lombardi are his 1940 Cincinnati Reds World Series Ring (est. $15/20,000), a 1938 MVP silver presentation box received from the National League ($4/6,000), and his 1938 All-American certificate signed by Babe Ruth (est. $8/10,000).
Items from the Estate of Jim Murray
A collection of items from famed Hall of Fame sports journalist Jim Murray will be featured, highlighted by the typewriter that he used to write over 10,000 columns for the Los Angeles Times from the early 1960s through the late 1990s (est. $8/10,000). Murray, who was one of only four sportswriters to win a Pulitzer Prize, and who was named "America's Best Sportswriter" by the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters 14 times, transcended a traditional role and elevated lesser-known sports to greater status. A large number of letters from athletes and other notable figures will be included in the sale.
Items from the Estate of Arthur Ashe
A number of items from tennis great Arthur Ashe will be offered in the June sale. In 1968, Ashe was ranked number one in America after winning the U.S. Open Championship. But it was in 1975 that he rose to the top of the sport and became the number one player in the world. The sale will include a pair of Haggar solid gold presentation trophy tennis balls, weighing 372 ounces (est. $100/150,000), which were awarded to Ashe by The World Championship Tennis Organization in 1975, the year he became the first and only African-American to have won the men's singles at Wimbledon when he defeated Jimmy Connors. Other important highlights of this section include an Arthur Ashe Head tennis racquet, which was used for the Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" Cover photograph and will also be featured on a 37 cent stamp this August (est. $5/7,000), and his 1975 World Tennis Championship ring (est. $2/3,000).
Baseball Cards
The sale will be rounded out by an offering of baseball cards, highlighted by one of only two known graded PSA NM-MT "8" Babe Ruth rookie cards from 1915 (est. $100/150,000). Also featured is a T-206 Honus Wagner graded PSA "1" PR-FR (est. $80/$110,000), 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle graded PSA "8" NM-MT (est. $40/50,000), AMS collection of high end insert memorabilia and cut signature cards and the Mike Cramer collection of complete baseball set runs including early tobacco cards (T-205, T-206, T-207, T-3 etc.), Bowmans (1948-1955) and Topps (1952-1969). Also from the Mike Cramer collection a super rare T-205 Hoblitzell no stats (est. $12/$18,000), 1916 Zeenut Jimmy Claxton (est. $4/$6,000), Master Set of 1909-12 Domino's Discs with variations (est. $12/$16,000) and a 1952 Coke Tips Complete Set with Willie Mays (est. $6/$8,000).
Other Sports Highlights
Other highlights from basketball, football, boxing, tennis, and track and field will include a Boston Celtics Championship trophy from the 1958-59 season that team owner Walter Brown gave to a sports writer/friend (est. $30/40,000), a lithograph signed by the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (est. $50/60,000), a robe worn
