Palmer Prefers Memories & Cash Over Hardware
Via the AP -
Jim Palmer said he no longer needs trophies as mementos of his Hall of Fame career, so the former Baltimore Orioles ace has put his three Cy Young Awards and two of his four Gold Gloves up for auction.
Palmer, currently a TV analyst for the Orioles, did not say he was financially hurting. He’s just looking to make some money by selling some of the hardware he received during his 19-year run in the major leagues.
“At this juncture of my life, I would rather concern myself with the education of my grandchildren,” Palmer said. “I also have a stepson, (15-year-old) Spencer, who is autistic and will need special care for the rest of his life. My priorities have changed.”
A portion of the profits will also be given to the autism project of Palm Beach County.
Hunt Auctions is taking bids online and over the phone through July 8 for the Cy Young Awards that Palmer won in 1973, 1975 and 1976, as well as the Gold Gloves he earned in 1976 and 1979. The live auction will take place on July 10.
Each of the Cy Young Award trophies, given to the best pitcher in each league by vote, is expected to garner between $60,000 and $80,000. The Gold Gloves are expected to receive bids up to $15,000.
“Certainly, when you talk about Cy Young Awards and Gold Gloves, these are the elite level of personal awards,” said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions.
Palmer is the latest in a long line of Hall of Fame stars to put items up for auction, and his reasoning is not necessarily unique.
Palmer realized his trophies and popularity could be used for charitable gain several years ago when in was Colorado at a fund raiser for cystic fibrosis.
“I donated a Gold Glove, a Cy Young, a round of golf at Caves Country Club and four seats to an Oriole game. And this was back when the Orioles were good – or better than they are now,” he said. “There was a gentleman who had a daughter with cystic fibrosis who paid $39,000 for that and never ever took it. It was for the cause.”
Until recently, Palmer kept the three Cy Young Awards on a wall in his Florida home. The Gold Gloves were in storage, mainly because his wife, Susan, didn’t want them in their home.
“Gold doesn’t go with my wife’s design,” Palmer said. “She has a design shop for women’s wear in Palm Beach, and she doesn’t do gold.”
Palmer, 66, says he doesn’t need polished pieces of hardware to remind him of what he accomplished over 19 seasons.
“You can’t erase the memories of 1973 or 1975 when I came back from my arm injury, when I had 10 shutouts and had to win the last day of the year to beat Catfish Hunter to win a Cy Young and get the ERA down to 2.09,” he said. “To me, those are things that happened in the past. I’m really lucky to remember all of them. Whether I have the awards or not, it’s not going to take those memories away.”
I can see the point here. In the end, it’s just sundry assemblages of wood, metal, plastic, etc. Their existence is transitory. Having them in your hand or not does not change the achievement. But, that said, if this becomes a trend where people start selling these things a week after winning them, I suspect that those awarding them will stop giving out the hardware and will only “name” winner (and leave it at that).
Well, He “only” earned $1,558,333 during his MLB career (not counting endorsements,bonuses etc)according to Society for American Baseball Research. Don’t know what he earns as an announcer but it’s not a fortune. I can see why his step child and grandchildrens’ need come before trophies.
I have a different take on it… I tell all my teammates, whenever we are pushing for a championship… “Hardware lasts forever.” Of course it’s the accomplishment that matters. But the hardware symbolizes it. Confirms it. Proves it. In perpetuity….. You got it, and the other guys/teams didn’t.
If Palmer wants/needs the cash, I don’t have a problem with him liquidating the assets. He earned ‘em and he can do what he wants with them. But I think it’s misguided to think he won’t miss the wood and metal at some point after they are no longer in his possession.
#15 wrote:
I don’t think it’s so misguided. He already knows what he did. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone, and I doubt he has the desire to show off after all these years. That he keeps his gold gloves in storage instead of around the house says enough (whether it’s about him or his wife is up for debate… lol)
Sometimes older retired players sell off their memorabilia while they are still alive so their heirs aren’t hit with heavy estate taxes after they pass on. Not everyone is like Yogi where they can just donate it to a museum in their honor.
If you remember a few years before he passed (when he moved into a assisted living facility), Scooter put his keepsakes, including his 1978 gold record from Meatloaf up for auction.