Cal Ripken Jr. Jersey, Bat Used During Record-Breaking Games Sell for $308K
Two pieces of memorabilia from Baseball Hall of Famer and former Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal "The Iron Man" Ripken Jr.'s record streak of 2,632 consecutive games played were sold through Goldin Auctions.
Ripken's jersey for the final game of the streak sold for $184,500. Nine offers raised the price to that amount following an initial minimum bid of $50,000.
In addition, the first bat he used during his record-breaking 2,131st straight game sold for $124,230. An initial minimum bid of $20,000 led to 24 more offers before the final price.
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Ripken's 2,632-game streak began May 30, 1982, against the Minnesota Twins and ended Sept. 19, 1998, against the New York Yankees. He took himself out of the lineup Sept. 20.
He broke New York Yankees legend Lou "The Iron Horse" Gehrig's previous record of 2,130 straight games Sept. 6, 1995, against the California Angels. The bat up for auction is from Ripken's first plate appearance.
In his next at-bat, he hit a fourth-inning solo home run. The O's later won 4-2.
The Maryland native played from 1981-2001, making 19 All-Star Games, winning two American League MVPs and taking home the 1983 World Series title, among other accolades.
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