Projo Sports Blog

June 25 (Bloomberg) -- A trophy commemorating the Boston Red Sox' 1912 World Series victory and bestowed to the manager by John F. Kennedy's grandfather will be auctioned in the next four months.

The 11-inch sterling silver piece was given to Jake Stahl, who managed the Red Sox and played first base, and is inscribed with his name. John Fitzgerald, the Boston mayor known as "Honey-Fitz," presented Stahl with the award and hosted a reception honoring the team at Faneuil Hall.

Boston capped its first year at Fenway Park by defeating the New York Giants to capture the championship, the second in franchise history. It's not an official World Series trophy because Major League Baseball didn't begin giving those out until 1967.

Arlan Ettinger, president of New York auction house Guernsey's, which is conducting the sale, said he's not sure how much the piece will sell for because there is nothing comparable from that era.

"It's impossible to say," Ettinger said in an interview. "For the team that gets the most fan interest up there, this is like the Holy Grail."

World Series trophies have sold for varying amounts at auction because prior to 2000, teams would produce replicas for owners, players and club executives. A Pittsburgh Pirates' World Series trophy from 1960 sold for $8,600 at auction, while the club's 1979 trophy went for $25,066.

Mike Heffner, president of the auction house Lelands Inc., said the Red Sox trophy has "a little more pizzazz to it," though it's not worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Red Sox spokeswoman Abby DeCiccio didn't immediately comment.

A Second Trophy

The trophy was in the Stahl family's possession until 1996, when it was sold at an estate auction, said Ettinger, who is selling the piece for an unidentified collector. A second trophy awarded to Red Sox owner James McAleer is believed to be lost, he said. A photograph of the championship club featuring Hall of Fame players Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper accompanies the item.

Boston beat New York in eight games in the 1912 Series, with one of the contests ending in a tie due to darkness. The Red Sox defeated a Giants squad led by pitchers Christy Mathewson and Rube Marquard, who were both inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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