Lineup Card May Fetch A Million
Bowling Green stands to make up to $850,000 from the sale of a piece of baseball history.
The university owns the lineup card used during the game in which Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games played. Umpire Larry Barnett donated the card to Bowling Green in December 1995 in hopes of raising money for student-athletes.
The card went on display Saturday at the Wal-Mart in Eldersburg, Md. The school expects to sell it for up to $1 million.
Proceeds from the sale, minus a 15 percent seller’s fee, will be used to fund football scholarships in the name of Barnett, a native of Prospect.
“We can always come down in price, but the whole point is to raise as much money as possible for Bowling Green students,” said Robert Urban, a Maryland sports memorabilia expert contracted to sell the lineup card. “The most money ever paid for one sports-related item was $640,000 for the Honus Wagner baseball card. Anything paid above that will set the record.”
Urban also will be asking $1 million for the home-run ball Ripken hit during the game in which he tied Gehrig’s record.
Olerud looks for better numbers
John Olerud is looking forward to a fresh start this season with the New York Mets.
Olerud, acquired from Toronto in December, is trying to regain the form that got him a .363 average and the A.L. batting title in 1993.
“Last year I tried to pull the ball too much,” said Olerud, a career .293 hitter who saw his average drop to .274 last season. “I didn’t do a real good job at that. If I’m hitting the ball good and hitting the ball hard, the average and the production are going to go up.”
Steinbrenner talks with Fielder
A possible contract extension was among the topics when Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and Cecil Fielder met briefly Saturday.
Fielder has filed a trade demand, and could become a free agent if he isn’t dealt by March 15.
“I think something is going to come to pass,” Fielder said. “I don’t know the timetable, but I feel after the conversion I’ve had with George, he really wants something to get done. He doesn’t want the situation where this trade demand is out in the air. Neither one of us want that.”
Fielder will make $7.2 million but would give up that deal if he elects to go free.
Junior has news for Tiger
Seattle Mariners’ outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and rookie pro golf phenom Tiger Woods are neighbors and occasional golfing partners in Orlando, Fla., prompting Griffey to invite Woods and golfer Mark O’Meara to visit Seattle’s camp in Peoria, Ariz., this spring.
“Tiger thinks baseball is easy compared to golf. He’ll see,” Griffey said. “He blew me off to play with Kevin Costner (in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am). I’ll remind him of that when he comes here and tries to play my sport.”
More from the M’s
Staff ace Randy Johnson passed on pitching for the second consecutive day and may try to throw 25-30 pitches in batting practice today - a slight delay in his rehabilitation, but nothing doctors didn’t expect. “It’s a situation where he’s stiff, and if he’d thrown he might be stiffer,” trainer Rick Griffin said. “We’re going to let this calm down, then put him back out there.”
Manager Lou Piniella on those who think Alex Rodriguez had a fluke season in 1996: “He may not hit .358 this year or hit 36 home runs, but this kid is the real deal. He has the physical tools, the mental makeup and the desire to win - plus he’s good-looking, single and wealthy. Alex is good for the Mariners and good for the game of baseball.”