Winter Platinum Night Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction

1937 is considered Lou Gehrig’s final hall-of-fame-level year. He batted .351 with 37 home runs. The following year, his energy would be sapped by a condition then unknown to him, but later diagnosed as ALS. A Lou Gehrig game-worn jersey from that last full-strength season is available in the upcoming Sports Collectibles event, presented by Heritage Auctions. The auction house notes that this jersey is the one Gehrig wore in a photo used to create his Monument Park plaque outside of Yankee Stadium.

From the start of Gehrig’s career, collectors will find a game-used bat from 1922-23. At that time, bats were used for longer periods, and players may have taken a bat with them to multiple assignments. Therefore, it is unclear whether this bat was used when Gehrig played college baseball at Columbia University, during his minor league assignment in Hartford, Connecticut, on his first trip to the big leagues with the New York Yankees, or perhaps all three. A four-page signed letter Gehrig wrote to his Mayo Clinic doctor is also among the items available. In the letter, Gehrig asks to know the truth of his condition, regardless of the consequences. “I do not want to be a hero, and I would hate like hell to be a cry baby,” he wrote, “but I would also like to know the facts if any…”

Collectors looking for more recent baseball memorabilia can consider items from the Devon White collection. White was a center fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, among other teams. He played for the Blue Jays during their back-to-back World Series championships in 1992 and 1993. Available in this auction are 24-inch models of both the ’92 and ’93 championship trophies that White was able to purchase as a member of the winning team. Because of White’s connection to Canada, a portion of the proceeds from each item in the Devon White Collection will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society. Register to bid for this event on the Heritage Auctions website.