Musial memorabilia on sale through Heritage Auctions
Collection of over 400 items available until either Nov. 7 or Nov. 9
Stan Musial amassed a huge collection of memorabilia throughout and beyond his 22-year career with the Cardinals, and many of those items from the late Hall of Famer now are up for bidding, according to the Associated Press.
Everything from autographed photos to a game-worn jersey from one of Musial's three National League Most Valuable Player Award seasons is among a collection of 400 items that became available on Thursday through Heritage Auctions of Dallas. The bidding will take place online and will end between Nov. 7 and Nov. 9, depending on the item.
The Cardinals are set to open the NL Division Series against the Pirates on Thursday night at Busch Stadium. It's their first postseason without Musial, who died in January at age 92, less than a year after his wife, Lillian, died. Musial's last appearance at Busch Stadium was at Game 4 of last year's NL Championship Series against the Giants.
Much of the memorabilia comes from the home Stan and Lillian Musial shared in Ladue, Mo., where he built a collection over the years, in addition to giving many things away.
"Most of this stuff, the family didn't even know was there," Musial's grandson, Brian Musial Schwarze, told the AP. "He just never made a big show of anything."
Collectors will have to dig into their pockets for some of the most prized items. The bidding starts at $10,000 for four items, including the game-worn jersey from Musial's 1948 NL MVP season and championship rings the Cardinals gave him after winning the World Series in 2006 and '11.
But fans looking for a bargain aren't necessarily out of luck. Bidding starts at $1 for smaller items, including Musial's neckties and lighters.
There also are plenty of unique items that help tell the story of Musial's life, including his signed Donora (Penn.) High School yearbook from 1939, a game-worn U.S. Navy baseball uniform from when he enlisted during World War II, and one of the harmonicas he was famous for playing (along with a bright red harmonica club vest).