Jeffrey Maier's 1996 ALCS glove sells for $22,705
The glove 12-year-old Yankee fan Jeffrey Maier used to snag Derek Jeter's 1996 ALCS home run ball has been sold for $22,705 at an auction.
Heritage Auctions told the Associated Press that the black Mizuno glove was purchased by an anonymous collector Saturday night. The auction was announced on Monday, with the current bid set at $13,000 and the house value at $50,000.
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Maier inadvertently carved a prominent role for himself in the Yankees' dynasty of the late 1990s when he reached over Yankee Stadium's right-field wall to catch a ball hit by Jeter in the 1996 ALCS. Baltimore Orioles rightfielder Tony Tarasco objected, thinking he would have caught the ball if not for Maier reaching over. But umpire Rich Garcia ruled the eighth-inning play a home run, and the Yankees won Game 1, 5-4 in 11 innings.
"Even to this day, almost 20 years after the fact, this glove still continues to elicit smiles from Yankees fans and curses from Orioles fans," said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. "It's an innocuous enough little black leather Mizuno glove but it still inspires big emotions and commanded a big-time auction price."
- Mike Fiammetta