Sandy Koufax took the mound in Los Angeles for the first time as a Dodgers pitcher in 1958, after the team moved across the country from Brooklyn … and now the Hall of Famer’s historic, game-worn baseball mitt is on the auction block!
Of course, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved following the ’57 Major League Baseball season after the organization was unable to strike a deal for a new ballpark with politicians in BK … relocating to the West Coast
Dodgers Stadium didn’t yet exist (it was built quickly and opened in 1962), so the team played four seasons at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, beginning with their first game against the San Francisco Giants on April 18, 1958.
Heading into ’58 season, the Dodgers were transitioning Koufax, their young 22-year-old relief pitcher, into a starter. The Hall of Famer flashed some of the incredible abilities that would go on to define his amazing career, appearing in 40 games (26 as a starter), going 11-11 with a 4.48 ERA.
Now, the actual Rawlings mitt worn by the MLB legend for some, if not all, of those appearances according to the auction house is on the auction block at The Memorabilia Network.
The glove was also signed by the 7x All-Star and 4x World Series champion … a signature that’s been preserved over the years. The mitt is also adorned with “32,” Sandy’s jersey number, in black marker.
Koufax gloves are very rare. In fact, TMN says only a handful (now 7 total) of Koufax game-used gloves have ever sold … and Memorabilia Network believes this glove, the first in the City of Angels, could be the most valuable ever.
The auction closes the night of June 14th … and the glove won’t go cheap!
Happy bidding!!!