ATLANTA — How did the home plate and bases from Hank Aaron’s 715th home run end up at auction?
Good question.
There is no answer at this point. The mementos to be auctioned later this month may or may not be authentic. If they are, how they ended up out of the Braves possession and into an auction is a reasonable question with no answer as of now. If they are not, bidders beware.
The memorabilia from the historic home run are said to be part of Heritage Auctions’ Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction on Aug. 23-25. The auction house has publicized the auction on its website and in press releases. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a story on the auction this week.
While some in the Braves organization were surprised by the article in the AJC, others were aware that the claimed home plate and bases were up for auction.
Bringing into question the authenticity of the memorabilia, the AJC in May took a photo of the third base from the night of the 715th home run, which Aaron hit April 8, 1974, on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. It was part of an exhibit “Hank Aaron: Chasing The Dream.” The exhibit corresponded with the unveiling of a permanent statue of Aaron in the Hall of Fame.
A plaque with the base on display reads: “HANK AARON’S career-long quest of 715 homeruns became official on April 8, 1974, when ‘THE HAMMER’ rounded third base and planted his foot on home plate in ATLANTA STADIUM. To commemorate this historical achievement, the third base of this game has been saved as a memento of AARON’S determination to cross 2,145 bases enroute to this amazing individual record.”
Three years ago, the Hall of Fame posted a YouTube video on how they curated the Chasing the Dream exhibit and it includes the third base.
The Hall of Fame is researching the situation after questions from the AJC.
According to the auction house, the memorabilia was in the hands of the son of a “long-time Braves employee.” Heritage’s description stated that “for decades, the three bases and home plate of Aaron’s historic circumnavigation languished in cardboard boxes where our consignor’s father placed them that very day until they were gifted to his son in 2016, and now consigned to auction.” The items were said to be stored at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium and Turner Field.
When contacted by the AJC as to the identity of the long-time Braves employee, a spokesman for a public relations firm said in an email, “We do not know.”
However, the lot description of the bases includes a “letter of provenance from former Braves staffer.”
It is unclear at this point how the home plate and bases, if authentic, came into the possession of the employee and out of the possession of the Braves.
“We are aware of the auction and are looking into the authenticity of the items as well as claims of ownership,” a Braves spokesperson told the AJC.
According to Heritage Auctions, the bases are expected to top $100,000.