A rose gold pocket watch belonging to baseball Hall of Famer “Big” Ed Delahanty is among the lead lots of Christie’s Golden Age of Baseball sale.
It's valued at $20,000-30,000.
'Big Ed' still holds the fifth highest batting average in Major League Baseball
Delahanty (1867-1903) was a pioneering power hitter who still holds the fifth highest batting average in baseball, well over 100 years after his death.
He achieved a career average of .346 (that’s higher than Babe Ruth).
The piece was presented to Delahanty by the Mansfield Rooters.
This was the official fan club of the Mansfield Base Ball Club where Delahanty played for a season in 1887.
It’s engraved: “Presented to Edward J. Delahanty by the Mansfield Rooters 1887”.
The following year Delahanty was sold to the Philadelphia Quakers.
He died in spectacular fashion after being kicked off a train in upstate New York for drunkenly brandishing a razor at fellow passengers.
He ended up losing his footing after a tussle with a guard on the International Falls Bridge, which spans the Niagara River. His body was found at the base of the Falls some days later.
Other intriguing lots include an 1866 Morrisania Unions vs. Philadelphia Athletics trophy baseball.
It records Morrisania (the archaic name for the South Bronx district of New York) as the winners of this particular game, with a final score of 42 to 29.
The ball is valued at $15,000-20,000 ahead of the sale’s August 24 close date.
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