Historic Items Abound in Hindman’s Sports Memorabilia Auction

On October 26th, 2021, Hindman will present its largest sports memorabilia auction to date. With nearly 400 lots, the auction will highlight renowned players, teams, and iconic moments in sports history.

Born in 1886 in Narrows, Georgia, Ty Cobb was considered one of the best all-rounder players who ever stepped foot on the baseball field. With an all-time best batting average of .366, Cobb spent 22 seasons in Detroit and another two in Philadelphia. “Ty Cobb lived off the field as though he wished to live forever. He lived on the field as though it was his last day,” said Branch Rickey, a Hall of Fame executive. During his 24-year long baseball career, Cobb hit 117 home runs and set 43 major league regular-season career records. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936 with a 98.2 percent vote in his favor.

In this live auction, a rare-to-find apology letter written by Cobb to a fan for not being able to sign an autograph is among the highlights (estimate: USD 2,000 – $3,000). The two-page letter, written in customary green ink, explains why Cobb couldn’t respond immediately because of his health predicaments.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first Black American to step into Ebbets Field as a major league baseball player. Robinson was not only a multi-talented athlete but also a civil rights activist.

In 1919, Jackie Robinson was born to a family of sharecroppers in Cairo, Georgia. While studying at John Muir High School, he excelled at varsity baseball, basketball, football, and track. During this time, Robinson’s brother Mack recognized his potential and nudged him to pursue his interest in sports. In 1945, a “Negro league team” called the Kansas City Monarchs signed Robinson for one season, where he hit .387. He got his true start in 1947 when he earned the “Rookie of the Year” award.

Highlighted in this live auction is a vintage Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers signed autograph (estimate: $1,000 – $2,000). The piece dates back to a Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field in the 1950s.

The upcoming Sports Memorabilia auction presents a Tiger Woods signed flag from his first PGA Tour win. It has an estimate of $3,000 to $5,000. The vintage piece comes with a letter from the tournament manager Charlie Baron. The letter notes that this flag was one of 18 that flew on the TPC Summerlin course when Woods won his first professional tournament in 1996 in Las Vegas. For the win, he defeated Davis Love III in a playoff, marking the beginning of his successful career. Following this victory, in 1997, Woods made history by becoming the youngest golfer to win one of the most prestigious events in golf, the Masters Tournament.

Hindman’s Sports Memorabilia auction begins at 11:00 AM EDT on October 26th, 2021. Register to bid and view each of the lots by visiting Hindman’s website.

Want to learn more about sports memorabilia auctions? Check out Auction Daily’s coverage of a previous sports sale at Hindman.