Orioles Gloves, Game Worn Jerseys Highlight Auction

Content originally published by Sports Collectors Daily on 9 July 2008

IroncladAuctions.com will host its first annual Ironclad Legends Auction, including the largest find of Baltimore Orioles game used gloves, team signed baseballs and lineup cards known to-date.

The auction will feature game-used fielder’s gloves of Brooks Robinson, Jim

Palmer, Eddie Murray, Boog Powell, Paul Blair, Mike Flanagan, Mike Cuellar, Doug DeCinces, Bobby Grich, Al Bumbry, Davey Johnson and Rick Dempsey.

The Ironclad Legends Auction will begin during the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Week and run through to baseball’s annual Hall of Fame induction on July 27^th.

Other items on the block include a Lenny Moore game used (1958-1961) white durene jersey, a 1943 original Babe Ruth signed NBC contract, and a Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris “Safe at Home” original one sheet movie poster, Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr. autographed pieces and a number of game-used, signed jerseys.

A collection of game-used items and autographs originating from a Baltimore-area photographer are also being sold through the company.

Vincent Greco, born and raised in Baltimore during the early 1930s, was a pioneer in the game of baseball. Already a professional photographer during his early 40s, Greco was approached by Orioles management to see if they could use film to evaluate the players performance during an actual game.

Using his Bell and Howell Super 8 camera and seated in the stands at Memorial Stadium, Greco was among the first to get shots of players in action for team analysis. His commitment and passion paid dividends for the Orioles and especially for the coaches and individual players who could now witness their mechanics on film for the first time.

Greco had a very close relationship with all the players spanning the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, providing the players and coaches with great pricing on camera equipment and, in turn, receiving sports memorabilia such as gloves, bats, team signed baseballs from the players.

“We are very excited and honored to have been chosen by the Greco-Nutter family to auction some great one-of-a-kind games used memorabilia from past Oriole greats” said Ray Schulte, Ironclad Authentics Co-Founder. “In addition, we are also excited to be chosen by former Baltimore Colts great and NFL Hall of Famer Lenny Moore to auction one of his extremely rare game used jerseys”.

Select items will be on display in Ironclad’s exhibiting booth at the MLB All-Star Fan Fest in New York and in Cooperstown during induction weekend.

Headed by Baltimore Orioles baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr., Ironclad Authentics began operations in 2004 and since that time has been a licensee of Major League Baseball and a partner in their authentication program.

Ironclad supplies signed, fully authenticated memorabilia from current and former athletes to wholesalers and distributors around the country. The company also holds the exclusive signature rights to both Cal Ripken Jr., inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008; and New York Yankees former superstar Don Mattingly.