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The Buckner Ball's New Home

batmagadanleadoff Nov 26 2020 01:54 PM Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Nov 26 2020 04:40 PM

From 2012: Bill Buckner ball sells at auction for $418K US Link to 2012 article on anonymous bidder winning the Bill Buckner ball at auction -- price: $400K. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/bill-buckner-ball-sells-at-auction-for-418k-us-1.1141456 And today's reveal about the identity of the anonymous 2012 winning bidder of the Buckner ball. Mets owner Steve Cohen reveals he owns Bill Buckner baseball from 1986 World Series Cohen bought the ball at an auction, but wished to remain anonymous at the time Cohen found out the ball was going up for auction a few years ago and thought "It's a great moment in Met history," and was fine with the estimated price he was given between $100,000 and $150,000. The ball ended up going for much more than that, at $418,250. Cohen was unaware it was purchased on his behalf at such a steep price. He said at first he was very angry about it, but he's "happy now." https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mets-owner-steve-cohen-reveals-he-owns-bill-buckner-baseball-from-1986-world-series/ and this... Mets owner Steve Cohen reveals he's putting this baseball treasure into the team's museum Cohen told SNY he bought the baseball at an auction for $410,000 and he now plans to show it off at the Mets Museum at Citi Field. “Sometimes I throw curveballs with it. I'm still working on the splitter,” Cohen said. “Given what this might be worth, I probably shouldn't be doing that.” According to Yahoo Sports, one of the ball's past owners was Charlie Sheen. https://11sports.net/mets-owner-steve-cohen-reveals-hes-putting-this-baseball-treasure-into-the-teams-museum-fox-business/

LWFS Nov 26 2020 02:53 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

This. Friggin'. Guy. [Grabs Cohen's imaginary face, kisses it full on the lips]

batmagadanleadoff Nov 26 2020 04:26 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Wonder what that ball would go for today, eight years later, with the super-rich getting superer-richer and a Mike Trout baseball cards selling for $3.9 million bucks? I mean, that Trout card might be a unique 1/1 but in the grand scheme of things, there are many other Trout cards out there. But just one Buckner ball.

Frayed Knot Nov 26 2020 05:28 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Wasn't there some dispute a bunch of years ago over what ball was the actual Buckner ball?!?! IIRC, wacko Charlie Sheen bought what was said to be THE ball but the RF ump claimed it wasn't real since he was the one who picked up the ball that night and he knew where it was ... and that where was not in Chuckie Sheen's paws. Not sure how/if that all got resolved but it would be a shame if Uncle Steve only Thinks he has the real one.

Frayed Knot Nov 26 2020 05:29 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Frayed Knot wrote: Wasn't there some dispute a bunch of years ago over what ball was the actual Buckner ball?!?! IIRC, wacko Charlie Sheen bought what was said to be THE ball but the RF ump claimed it wasn't real since he was the one who picked up the ball that night and he knew where it was ... and that where was not in Chuckie Sheen's paws. Not sure how/if that all got resolved but it would be a shame if Uncle Steve only Thinks he has the real one.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 26 2020 05:38 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Frayed Knot wrote: Wasn't there some dispute a bunch of years ago over what ball was the actual Buckner ball?!?! IIRC, wacko Charlie Sheen bought what was said to be THE ball but the RF ump claimed it wasn't real since he was the one who picked up the ball that night and he knew where it was ... and that where was not in Chuckie Sheen's paws. Not sure how/if that all got resolved but it would be a shame if Uncle Steve only Thinks he has the real one. Not much of an ownership controversy: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/396094-the-remarkable-story-of-the-ball-that-got-through-billy-buckners-legs

batmagadanleadoff Nov 26 2020 05:41 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Frayed Knot wrote: Wasn't there some dispute a bunch of years ago over what ball was the actual Buckner ball?!?! IIRC, wacko Charlie Sheen bought what was said to be THE ball but the RF ump claimed it wasn't real since he was the one who picked up the ball that night and he knew where it was ... and that where was not in Chuckie Sheen's paws. Not sure how/if that all got resolved but it would be a shame if Uncle Steve only Thinks he has the real one. Not much of an ownership controversy: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/396094-the-remarkable-story-of-the-ball-that-got-through-billy-buckners-legs Also, the ball had previously been on display in the Citi Field Mets museum. Seth Swirsky, the ball's owner just before Cohen submitted a winning bid on it, had loaned it to the Mets for display. History and story-telling is a theme throughout the 3,200 square-foot museum, and nothing tells a better tale than the ball that Mookie Wilson hit that trickled through Bill Buckner's legs in the 1986 World Series, on loan from private collector Seth Swirsky. Swirsky, a songwriter and long-time Mets fan, said he was more than happy to loan the ball to the museum. "I'm a die-hard longtime fan and I went to Shea Stadium,” he said. “I went to the World Series at nine years old in '69, and I really grew up with it. So for me to end up with this ball was a tremendously humbling experience and I was glad to be able to lend it to the Mets. I'm so, so happy that fans are getting a good feeling from it. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/396082-behind-the-scenes-at-the-new-york-mets-hall-of-fame-and-museum

G-Fafif Nov 26 2020 07:39 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

I had a chance at a Buckner ball that (probably) wasn't in 1988. I managed to pass.

MFS62 Nov 27 2020 05:56 AM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

RMPL. http://www.thecranepool.net/phpBB32/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29238&start=25 Later

Frayed Knot Nov 27 2020 09:37 AM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

At some point ump Montague was claiming that Sheen didn't have the actual ball, but it sounds more like he had lost track of the fact that Arthur Richman had put it on the market.

Lefty Specialist Nov 28 2020 11:19 AM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

I think it's really cool that the Mets have an owner who cares about this kind of stuff. You probably have to go back to Mrs. Payson to see a Met owner who cares this much. Nelson Doubleday, maybe a bit but still not in the same league.

batmagadanleadoff Nov 28 2020 09:56 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Lefty Specialist wrote: I think it's really cool that the Mets have an owner who cares about this kind of stuff. You probably have to go back to Mrs. Payson to see a Met owner who cares this much. Nelson Doubleday, maybe a bit but still not in the same league. I was thinking the same as this thread was unfolding. The Wilpons would've never bought the Buckner ball, even if they were at their financial peak when the ball was auctioned and Madoff had never happened to them.

stevejrogers Nov 29 2020 10:09 AM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Lefty Specialist wrote: I think it's really cool that the Mets have an owner who cares about this kind of stuff. You probably have to go back to Mrs. Payson to see a Met owner who cares this much. Nelson Doubleday, maybe a bit but still not in the same league. I was thinking the same as this thread was unfolding. The Wilpons would've never bought the Buckner ball, even if they were at their financial peak when the ball was auctioned and Madoff had never happened to them. I wonder if the idea of a minority shareholder "upstaging" the owners of the team, as well as the fact that he felt he ended up overpaying, despite giving the person doing the bidding for him a hard figure, is why he stayed anonymous for so long. I mean an on the tens anniversary year even passed between the point of him buying the ball and his announcing that he had it!

Marshmallowmilkshake Nov 29 2020 01:45 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

I'm thrilled the ball is in very good hands. But why is an historical artifact that never left the field in the hands of a private collector? I get if a ball flies into the stands, thats a differnet scenario. But this was picked up by an MLB employee and given away, then sold. Seems like the thought should have been, "This is history, it should go to Cooperstown." I know it was a different time. Nowadays MLB has authenticators at games to collect stuff.

Edgy MD Nov 29 2020 04:03 PM Re: The Buckner Ball's New Home

Mookie was offered it. He told Richman to keep it.