Geddy Lee is universally known as the bassist and lead singer of Rush, one of the most successful rock bands of all time, and a 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

What you may not know is that while Rush was playing to packed arenas around the world and creating award-winning, platinum-certified albums, Lee began amassing an enviable collection of baseball memorabilia.

That includes balls and bats signed by some of the game’s most renowned figures: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, Cal Ripken Jr., Albert Pujols and many, many more.

Now, after more than 40 years of building his massive collection, Lee is putting some 300 items up for sale in a live auction. The auction, titled "Selections from the Geddy Lee Collection and Important Baseball Memorabilia,” is presented by Christie’s and will take place on Dec. 6.

“Baseballs, nobody owns them,” Lee recently told The Athletic about his collection. “They’re like houses. You take care of them for a while, and then they move on to the next person, the next custodian.”

The final-out ball from each of Johnny Vander Meer’s back-to-back no-hitters, and a ball signed by 26 of the 33 members of the 3,000-hit club -- from Ty Cobb to Miguel Cabrera -- are among the many unique items in the auction.

Lee’s collection also intersects with American history outside the realm of sport. There is a baseball signed by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. The auction features numerous baseballs signed by presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Barack Obama. Some of the balls were used in first-pitch ceremonies.

A ball signed by all four members of the Beatles from their 1965 show at Shea Stadium is expected to be one of the pricier items in the auction; it is estimated to sell for up to $300,000.

“The items I collected over these years, I collected with passion, I collected with love, and I just have too much,” Lee said. “It’s time to share with the world again.”