Jackie Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier in 1947. The contracts that allowed the history making achievement to happen are now up for auction and expected to go for millions.
The contract that Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 and the one he signed with the Montreal Royals — then a Minor League affiliate of the Dodgers — are being auctioned together. The auction is being hosted by Goldin Auctions with an opening bid of $5 million.
“We spoke with Ken Goldin who tells us he’s had the items appraised by a rare documents expert who valued the pair at $36 million. Goldin says 10% of the final sale price will be donated to the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” TMZ Sports reported. “The contracts have been on the auction block before — most recently in 2017 — but it did not hit the $15 million reserve, so it went back to the consignor. … Now, the seller is giving the sale another shot … with a lower reserve.”
Robinson signed with Montreal after the 1945 season and joined the team in 1946. After one year in the minors, he famously broke into the majors with the Dodgers at the beginning of the 1947 season. That year, he won MLB’s inaugural Rookie of the Year Award.
Per a press release, the auction, which opened on Monday, will close on January 31. That date would have also been Robinson’s 100th birthday.