It seemed only fitting that in 1957, Ted Williams would be given the Babe Ruth “Sultan of Swat Award” for “Outstanding Batting Achievements” that year, as awarded by the Maryland Professional Baseball Players Association. Williams batted .388 that year. While Williams’ personal example of this crown – often referred to as the Babe Ruth Award - sold for $230,000 in auction just a year ago, Heritage Auctions writes “we must clarify that this is a different model, created some years later for display at the headquarters of the issuing body. The few physical differences between the original and this later incarnation are minor however, and the lengthy text that runs the perimeter of the crown is identical.”
Heritage placed the estimate for the crown at $250,000-up. The company’s 2023 Sports Catalog Auction begins May 11 and runs through May 13.