A Chicago Cubs employee attempted to auction off a 2016 team World Series ring.
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series title since 1908, sending fans into a wild frenzy in celebration. Apparently, one fan – and team scout – took the commemoration to an extreme, attempting to sell the 2016 World Series championship ring, according to reports by the Sun-Times. The piece of bling had a starting bid set at $1,908 – as a tribute to the team’s last World Series title – with the auction reaching as high as $65,000 before the item was quickly taken down by Lelands, the venue in which the ring was being exported. Team spokesman Julian Green caught up with the Chicago Tribune, commenting on the matter:
"“We appreciate Lelands’ cooperation in removing a ring that was not authorized for sale per the contract with associates. We have identified the scout who no longer works for the ball-club.”"
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Green stated that “legally he’s not at liberty to discuss why the team and the scout parted ways.” Hmm. I’m no detective, but I’m pretty sure I know the reason. Why not just come out and say it? Memorabilia expert Michael Osacky said the ring would’ve bid for at least $100,000, with the seller choosing the ripe season – so to speak – to sell the ring, with the postseason already underway.
"“My sources tell me the Cubs knew somebody would sell a ring sooner or later, but they didn’t expect it to be this quick.”"
What other sports memorabilia items, in the past, have sold for extreme amounts? Check out the top 10 most expensive sports items ever sold.
As you can see, baseball is more popular a sport than I even realized. Incredible is the demand, as well as the lengths fans will go in order to get their hands on these rare collectibles.
I totally understand the frustration and concern from the organization in diffusing the situation, with this being a black-eye for the organization. However, I don’t blame Cubs fans one bit for taking advantage of the rare artifact and attempting to snatch it up. My guess is that the (former) scout, whoever he or she is, will not be working in baseball anytime soon. Maybe they found their true calling as an auctioneer?
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Do you think the Cubs scout deserved termination for their actions? Also, should fans be able to purchase items such as that on the “black market”? What item would you sell the farm for, so to speak? Tell us in the comments below and on our social media pages.