Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
The 1996 New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves in the World Series 4 games to 2, which began a run where the Joe Torre-led Bombers won four World Series titles in five seasons. But this 1996 World Series title was their first, winning a title for George Steinbrenner for the first time in 18 seasons. And this wasn’t any ordinary championship. The Yankees were down in the Game One of the ALCS to the Baltimore Orioles, when Derek Jeter homered to tie the game in the infamous Jeffrey Maier incident. Then they were down to Mike Mussina late in Game Three before coming back to win that game, and the American League pennant. The Yankees comeback continued in that 1996 World Series, as they were down 2-0 in games facing four straight contests against Cy Young award winners. Down in Atlanta, the Yankees proceeded to take three straight games from the Braves, culminated by the great 1-0 victory over John Smoltz in Game Five. They returned New York, and beat Greg Maddux 3-2 to win the title and thus began their tremendous World Series run. Presented is an actual Yankees championship Commissioner's trophy presented to Yankee pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, which was awarded to the former Yankee hurler following the 1996 Fall Classic. The oversized prize is set upon a 7-1/4" diameter base, which contains a gold band reading, "MEL STOTTLEMYRE 1996 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS - New York Yankees vs ATLANTA BRAVES." This trophy contains a gold-colored band, has a gold-colored baseball at its base and a crown at the top. The front of the display includes original press pins of the two World Series teams, Balfour made for the Yankees and Josten's for the Braves. Surrounding the base are 28 gold-colored flags representing the names of each Major League team. Left to right these flags begins with Baltimore and finish with Atlanta on the right. This amazing piece of hardware weighs approximately 20 pounds and measures 12” tall at its peak. This is an amazing trophy, one which was special ordered and presented to the great Mel Stottlemyre, former Yankee All-Star pitcher and that dynasty’s pitching coach. Accompanying this trophy is a letter signed by Stottlemyre, and on Yankee letterhead, informing famed Yankee collector Mead Chasky he was giving him his personal 1996 World Series trophy “as a token of our friendship.”