Larsen to auction off perfect game uniform
<p>New York Yankees great Don Larsen and his wife Corrine pose during a press conference announcing the auction of his 1956 perfect game uniform Thursday in New York.</p>
NEW YORK - Being the kind of grandfather that he is, New York Yankees legend Don Larsen is taking one for the team.
The former pitcher announced Thursday that he's paying for his grandchildren's college education by auctioning off his most prized possession - the baseball uniform he wore when he pitched the only perfect game in World Series history.
Steiner Sports Memorabilia will conduct the auction beginning Oct. 8, the 56th anniversary of Larsen's masterful pitching performance against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. Baseball enthusiasts worldwide will have the opportunity to place bids online or via phone for 56 days afterward.
The off-white uniform with faded Yankee pinstripes is in excellent condition, Larsen said.
When asked how much he'd like to get for the uniform - which includes both the jersey and pants - Larsen, 82, didn't miss a beat.
"A million," the Hayden Lake resident said. "Why go cheap?"
Larsen's expectations aren't out of line, either. In May, a jersey worn by Babe Ruth sold for more than $4.4 million.
Steiner Executive Vice President Brett Schissler estimated that Larsen's uniform could sell for as high as $2 million and that the company had already received several seven-figure offers.
Larsen, who excelled in baseball and basketball while attending San Diego's Point Loma High School, originally loaned the uniform to the San Diego Hall of Champions when he was inducted in 1964. This spring, Larsen decided to auction it off and drove from his home in Hayden Lake to the West Coast to retrieve it.