World Series: The Amazing History of the Championship Ring
You would think that after playing 175 games or so over seven months that the World Series winners would have had enough and are in a decompress mode looking for some peace and quiet. Uh uh. They still have to grapple with another problem – their championship ring.
How Much Does One of These Rings Cost?
We’re not talking about the kind of ring that you find in the bottom of a Cracker Jacks box. No, siree. We’re talking about rings that are appraised for around $23,700. That is the value of one of three rings that were given last year by the Kansas City Royals to about – get this – almost 700 individuals. Not all got the big one, but you get the idea. And the 2003 Marlins topped even that with one that cost about $40,000. This is big stuff we’re talking about here. In fact, the Royals spent $9.2 million just on rings.
Now if just one seat for a World Series game at Wrigley is going for an average of $3,000, you can imagine what the price attached to a championship ring might be should the Chicago Cubs win the World Series after a drought of 108 years. Let’s see, how many packs of gum will they have to sell…
Who Gets a World Series Ring?
That’s all taken care of by ownership. But the headache for the players is to decide who gets a ring and who doesn’t. And there are no written rules for this. It’s pretty much a gigantic team meeting type thing. And we know how much players like meetings.
Nevertheless, there is some tradition to follow as a guideline. The rings themselves are divided into “A”, “B”, and “C” rings. (Oh yes, this gets complicated.) Anyone on the 25-man roster and coaching staff for the World Series automatically gets the “A” ring. Players on the 40-man roster may qualify as well for the big one, but they are also guaranteed a ring of some kind.
From there, you move into the front office, your scouts, your groundskeepers, and your management staff in the minors. Sometimes, you’ll even want to include ushers and hot dog vendors who have been loyal over the years. But it’s sort of like wedding invitations – you’re bound to offend someone. Generally, these are the ones who get the “B” and “C” rings.
Exceptions to the “Rules”
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But there are some odd exceptions to the rules too. For instance, Brayan Villarreal got a ring with the champion Red Sox in 2013. His contribution? He got into one game for Boston: in August, he relieved with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a tie game at San Francisco, and walked Marco Scutaro on four pitches to force home the winning run. Those were Villarreal’s last four pitches in the majors, in fact.
San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy has taken charge of the process, thereby relieving his players of the responsibility. He rewards every player who spends even a day on a title team. Dan Uggla, for instance, was long gone by the time the Giants won the World Series in 2014. He’d played four games for San Francisco in late July, going 0-for-11 with six strikeouts, and made two errors at second base. Uggla received his jewelry from general manager Bobby Evans behind the scenes before a game on Aug. 14 at AT&T Park while he was on the disabled list for the Washington Nationals.
Once You Have One, What Do You Do with It?
So, what do you do with a World Series ring? Well, they’re big and gaudy. They also can be quite heavy weighing in at as much as a quarter of an ounce (Marlins again). It’s more of a novelty at first and undoubtedly the players will wear them for speaking engagements on the chicken circuit. But after that, they’re more likely to be placed in the player’s trophy case at home. Or, maybe even in the valuables safe.
Not as likely though is packing it in your suitcase for a 10-day road trip when you’re staying in three different hotels. At times, a destitute player or staff member might even offer his up for sale. Posted on EBay, for example, is a 2010 ring going for a cool $16,500. Or, you can shop in the basement and take home a replica for only $29.99.
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World Series Rings Tidbits (SportsRings.com)
1) It’s believed the first team-issued World Series rings were presented to the 1922 New York Giants. The ring contained a center diamond and was made of 14-karat white gold.
2) The largest World Series ring ever produced is the Marlins’ 2003 ring. Made of 14-karat gold, the ring weighs 115 grams (over a quarter of a pound), contains 228 diamonds, 13 rubies and a rare teal diamond in the mascot’s eye.
3) Yogi Berra had more World Series rings than anyone. As a player, he was awarded 10 World Series champion rings and four American League Championship rings (a.k.a. World Series losing rings).