Steiner Sports Debuts Its First Catalog Auction Featuring Mariano Rivera Signed Bullpen Telephone

Sept. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- New Rochelle, N.Y. — A rare Mariano Rivera item is one of the many highlights from the first ever Steiner Sports Collectibles (http://www.steinersports.com) catalogue auction on November 17 and 18. The man who has always answered the call for the Yankees has signed a bullpen phone from the Old Yankee Stadium alongside the phrase “Enter Sandman.”

The 11-time All-Star and sure fire Hall of Famer pitcher has been an integral part of five World Series Championships for the Yankees in his 16 year career. Rivera has amassed 555 saves during his tenure and has pitched to a microscopic 2.20 ERA (through 9/6/10). This season he stands at an ERA of 1.07.

Steiner Sports Collectibles will also feature consecutive seats from the old Yankee Stadium – numbered 1 through 16 – available for a single bidder. The iconic seatbacks will be the only complete set in existence.

“These historic chairs are sure to entice serious collectors,” said Stephen Costello, Steiner executive vice president overseeing the project. “The numerical chairs highlight over 250 items up for bid in Legends Auction 4.”

Those interested in bidding can call 914-307-1060 to request a catalogue, or log onto http://www.steinersports.com. The auction will include artifacts from both the old Yankee Stadium and old Giants Stadium. There are currently over 250 lots available for auction.

While putting together the catalogue auction, Costello got to thinking about significant player uniform numbers in Yankee history. “We were fascinated by the players who wore the chair back numbers,” he says, and so we put together this numerical montage:

- Lou Gehrig was the only player in Yankee history to wear uniform number 4…no other Yankee player ever put it on.
- Number 7 was not only worn by Mickey Mantle; Leo Durocher also wore that number.
- Mantle wore number 6 as a rookie before switching to number 7.
- The number 8 is the only one to be retired twice, by Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey.
- Joe DiMaggio wore number 9 as a rookie, before switching to number 5.
- Number 26 has been worn by a total of 67 players, the most in Yankee history.
- Bobby Murcer wore both numbers 1 and 2.
- Derek Jeter wore number 27 in the minor leagues before switching to number 2 with the Yankees, perhaps a harbinger of the Yankees 27 world championships.

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About Steiner Sports
Established in 1987 by founder and CEO Brandon Steiner, Steiner Sports has been a leader in sports memorabilia and sports marketing for over two decades and enjoys working relationships with many of the top athletes in sports today.