This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/4/2017
Much like the late Don Zimmer, Gene
Tenace is what we call a baseball lifer. During his 15-year playing
career (1969-83), mostly as a catcher, Tenace won three straight World
Championships with the Oakland A’s (1972-74) and was named the 1972
World Series MVP. His balance of power and patience as a hitter while
playing a non-offensive position was celebrated by Bill James decades
before Gene's "Moneyball" value would be fully appreciated. An All-Star
in 1975, Tenace also played for the Padres and the 1982 World Champion
St. Louis Cardinals and Pirates before moving on to coaching stints with
several teams including the Astros, Blue Jays and Cardinals. A hitting
guru at every organization, Tenace certainly made his mark as one of
the best batting coaches around, helping the Blue Jays to back-to-back
World Series titles in the early 1990’s before adding another World
Series ring to his arsenal in 2006 as a hitting instructor with the
Cardinals. All told, Tenace was a major part of 7 World Series Champion
teams during his fabulous MLB career as a player and coach.
Presented here is Gene Tenace's 2004 St. Louis Cardinals 10K
Gold "B" version National League Championship ring. Players received a 14K gold "A" version. Tenace spent six seasons
(2002-07) as a hitting instructor in the Cardinals organization. The
face of the ring features a Cardinal colored ruby sitting atop a field
of real diamonds surrounded by "NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS". "TENACE" and
a raised image of the Cardinals logo appear on one side panel with
"2004", "16th WORLD SERIES", "105-57" and raised images of Busch Stadium
and the Gateway Arch on the other panel. "INTERGOLD 10K" is engraved
inside the band. The ring is a size 13 1/2 and weighs 42 grams. The ring
is in pristine condition as Tenace rarely wore it or even handled it.