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Ted Williams' 1949 MVP plaque hits $299,000 at Fenway Park
A 1949 MVP plaque awarded to Red Sox slugger Ted Williams beat its estimate by 19.6% on April 28
Paul Fraser Collectibles, Monday 30 April 2012
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Ted Williams' 1949 MVP plaque sold for $299,000 at an auction of his personal collection at Fenway Park, Boston, on Saturday (28 April).
 Ted Williams' 1949 MVP plaque |
The world's oldest baseball park played host to the event, which saw a huge selection of the Boston Red Sox star's baseball memorabilia sell, along with personal items and multiple lots relating to his love of fishing.
The top lot of the sale was the 1949 American League Most Valuable Player Award. It is the most coveted individual performance award in Major League Baseball, and was presented to Williams at Fenway Park in 1950.
Williams, who is considered one of the greatest hitters in Major League Baseball, was given the plaque following a historic season at the pinnacle of his career, beating his competitors by nearly 100 votes. The item sold against an estimate of $150,000-250,000.
A new record was set for a signed Babe Ruth ball not used in a game. The ball remains in immaculate condition despite being stolen from Williams' home in the 1970s and not found until 2005. Inscribed: "To my pal Ted Williams, From Babe Ruth," the lot made $195,500.
Babe Ruth memorabilia has always produced excellent results at auction; see our Top 5 most expensive items of baseball memorabilia to discover the home-runs of auction history.
More of Williams' huge array of accolades sold at the auction, with a rare 1957 Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat award making $230,000. The brass crown-shaped award was one of the big hits of the sale with an impressive 206.6% increase against an estimate of $75,000.
The auction was held to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the champion slugger's death, and also Fenway Park's 100th anniversary.
Recent and related articles
· Seth Swirsky's historic baseball memorabilia collection | 11 April 2012
· Top 5 most expensive items of baseball memorabilia | 11 April 2012
· 'Miracle on Ice' jersey comes to auction with $37,023 low estimate | 23 January 2012
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Images: Hunt Auctions
