JERSEY EMERGED AFTER 80 YEARS OF SECLUSION IN THE ESTATE OF JOHNSON'S FORMER TEAMMATE

AUCTION OF IMPORTANT SPORTS MEMORABILIA AND CARDS TOTALS $3,231,220

New York, New York, June 24, 2006– Today at Sotheby's in a sale of Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards, a Walter Johnson Washington Senators jersey, which was only one of two known and the only example in private hands, sold for $352,000 to an East Coast collector on the telephone (est. $200/300,000*). One of the most important baseball artifacts ever discovered, it was sought after by at least four active bidders. The jersey emerged after some 80 years of seclusion in the estate of Johnson's former Senators teammate Eric "Swat" Erickson.

Also highlighting the sale was a Babe Ruth autographed game used bat, among the most widely coveted objects in the field of sports memorabilia collecting, which brought $216,000 (est. $150/200,000). This exceptional example dates from Ruth's epic 1932 "Called Shot" season and is among the finest of only a scant few know Ruth's gamers autographed by the Bambino himself. A pair of Ruth New York Yankees Home flannel pants, late 1920s, commanded $114,000, almost four times the high estimate (est. $20/30,000).

Other bats which brought top prices included Jackie Robinson's Game Used 1949 All Star Bat from the Robinson Estate, which sold for $132,000 (est. $100/150,000), a record for a Robinson bat at auction, a 1927 Lou Gehrig Louisville Slugger Bat, which achieved $96,000 (est. $40/60,000) and a 1966 Mickey Mantle H&B Game Used Bat, which brought $60,000 (est. $30/40,000).

Additional Memorabilia Highlights;

Hall of Famer Bob Cousy Game Worn Boston Celitcs Home Jersey, ca. 1950's (est. $20/25,000) sold for $27,000

1957-58 Wilt Chamberlain Kansas Jayhawks Home Jersey Worn During His Final Collegiate Season – From Chamberlain Estate (est. $50/75,000) sold for $72,000

Hall of Famer / NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Elvin Hayes Game Worn San Diego Rockets Home Jersey ca. 1970 (est. $10/12,500) sold for $20,400

Michael Jordan Game Worn and Twice Autographed All-Star Game Jersey (est. $2,500/5,000) sold for $13,200

Pair of 1920's New York Yankees Checks Payable to the Boston Red Sox Directly Relating to the Sale of Babe Ruth (est. $6/8,000) sold for $33,000

Jackie Robinson Single Signed Baseball (est. $5/7,000) sold for $12,600

Large Babe Ruth Signed Photograph 17 inches by 21 ½ inches (est. $15/20,000) sold for $31,200

19th Century Fingerless Baseball Glove w/ Matching Full Finger Glove (est. $8/10,000) sold for $19,200

Tabletop One Cent Mutascope Featuring Babe Ruth (est. $8/10,000) sold for $21,600

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Signed Baseball PSA/DNA Grade 8 (est. $12/18,000) sold for $39,000

Original Yankee Stadium Seat (est. $2/4,000) sold for $7,800

Late 1940's Babe Ruth Figural Clock (est. $2/3,000) sold for $7,800

Pool Cue Give to Mickey Mantle by Willie Mosconi (est. $4/6,000) sold for $12,000



Card Highlights Include;

John O'Donogue 1968 Topps 3-D Baseball Proof Card – (est. $10/15,000) sold for $27,000

Tommy Davis 1968 3-D Baseball Proof Card – (est. $10/15,000) sold for $33,000

Rick Monday 1968 Topps 3-D Baseball Proof Card – (est. $10/15,000) sold for $36,000

1916 M101-5 Blank Back #151 Babe Ruth SGC 40 VG (est. $6/8,000) sold for $15,600

1917 H801-8 Boston Store Lot of 72 Different w/ 9 Hall of Famers (est. $6/8,000) sold for $36,000

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 5 EX (est. $6/10,000) sold for $18,000

1952 Topps Baseball High Number Near Complete Run 90 of 97 (est. $5/7,000) sold for $12,000

1955 Topps Baseball Complete Set (est. $3/5,000) sold for $9,900



*Estimates do not include buyer's premium