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January 29, 2008

Whitey Ford's Memorabilia Sale

From the Daily News today -

Whitey Ford decided it was time to clean out his attic - and his stash of pinstripe goodies could be worth a mound of cash.

The legendary Yankee pitcher showed off an array of belongings that will go on the auction block, including a baseball President John F. Kennedy signed for Ford and his Hall of Fame induction plaque.

"When your house starts getting full and your kids don't have a place to sleep, it's time to get rid of stuff," said Ford, 79. The treasure trove also includes a signed photo of Mickey Mantle, Ford's rookie jersey and an authentic, used game glove.

All pieces will be sold at a Javits Center auction during the MLB All-Star festivities on July 14 and 15. Yankee Stadium will host this summer's All-Star Game. Auction organizers wouldn't put a value on the entire cache of hundreds of pieces of memorabilia.

The minute I saw this, I thought of Barry Halper and Phil Rizzuto and when they sold their stuff. I hope that Ford is not selling his items for the same reason that they did - fearing the end is near. That's sad, even to speculate.

Posted by Steve Lombardi at January 29, 2008 11:08 PM

Comments

Ford turns 80 this year. He doesn't have to be dying, but it's not like he has a ton of time left. Inter vivos transfers of wealth can present fewer tax consequences.

Posted by: Rich [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 29, 2008 11:31 PM