If you've ever thought you might want to do the stereotypical baseball stadium proposal, here's your chance to do it without having to spring for the rock, provided that you are a Yankees fan. Jewelry retailer Michael C. Fina, Hearts On Fire diamonds and N.Y. Yankees All-Star pitcher Mariano Rivera are offering a contest called The Final Engagement. Fans who write a short essay (250 words or less) describing why they should be chosen will be entered into the contest to win a 1.5-carat Hearts On Fire diamond engagement ring valued up to $40,000, plus four tickets to the Sept. 18 game and to propose live via the Diamond Vision screen. Winners will be chosen based on love of the Yankees as well as a creative and persuasive essay. For each entry, Michael C. Fina and Hearts On Fire will donate $1 to the Mariano Rivera Foundation, a nonprofit that benefits underprivileged children. The contest ends August 31.
With more and more famous ballparks either disappearing or getting redone each year, these Ballpark pens might be your last chance to get your hands on a bit of history. The pens are andcrafted from salvaged wooden stadium seats. THe barrels and disc at top are made from wooden seats from historic stadiums. The pens ship with capless rollerball refill but can also use Parker style ballpoints and each is laser engraved with the name of the ballpark and years in existence. The prices vary depending on the stadium. Fenway Park sells for $250 and Yankee Stadium is $190.
Add another sports figure to the ranks of the celebrity foreclosed. Baseball player and controversial author Jose Canseco has walked away from his $2.5 million home in Encino, an area of Los Angeles. Canseco has said in an interview that it didn't make financial sense to keep paying the mortgage on a home that was "basically owned by someone else." Canseco cited his multiple divorces as another factor in his financial woes. It sounds like Canseco isn't facing the dire financial situation that some other people (Latrell Sprewell for example) have faced but merely opted out. His nonchalance seems a bit cavalier at a time when people are really agonizing over their homes but it seems in the interview that he is keenly aware that his situation is different from others who are struggling.
If you want to get a deal on Yankees tickets you might want to try to go in 2008. The New York Yankees will charge $500 to $2,500 for seats near home plate in the first 5 to 8 rows of their new park which opens in 2009. The Yankees have already gotten commitments to buy for all 122 of the front-row seats.
The $1.3 billion ballpark will have 1,800 Legends Field Suite seats in 25 sections ringing home plate, with seats 20 feet closer to the infield than they are now. The ticket price also covers food and non-alcoholic drinks as well as access to a private entrance, elevator and concourse and the all important private restrooms. The seats will be cushioned and have teak arms. If you want these seats, you have to make a serious commitment, the seats must be bought for three, five, seven or 10 seasons with a specified scale of price increases. ESPN says that New York has lease commitments for 29 of 47 luxury suites selling for between $600,000 and $850,000 and there will be a 74-seat Club Suite priced at $700 per ticket.
These pricey seats have raised some eyebrows but the price of the suites does allow for cheaper seats elsewhere in the stadium. Bleachers will be $12 and the grandstand will be $20 and $25.
Are you a sporty preppy type? I'm sure to some that's a compliment while to others it's an insult but regardless, Volvo has come up with 2 limited edition models that are geared towards Red Sox baseball lovers and sailors. The Red Sox limited edition C30 will only have 107 cars, each in the custom shade of red, the team logo on the back hatch, fender badges, and a few other details. The Ocean Race Edition Volvo, which will be available to a larger crowd, will be available in a limited edition of 9,000. Buyers will have a choice of color (Ocean Blue or Electric Silver) and nautical themed details extend from ocean-inspired wheels to special stitching on the interior leather seats.
Wikipedia still reports it as one of the seminal moments in the trading card collecting field: In February, 2007, a 'near mint-mint' Honus Wagner sold for $2.3 million. At that point it was probably the highest sale a baseball card in history.
Then, in September last year, the same card was sold again. This time it went for $2.8 million to a private collector.
The card in question, a T206 Honus Wagner, was made by the American Tobacco Company in 1909. There are estimated to be fewer than 100 in existence. This card was once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky and has been called the 'Mona Lisa of Baseball cards.' It may be so rare because Honus Wagner himself didn't want his image to be used to sell tobacco and stopped production of the his card, or at least that's part of the mythology surrounding the famous card.
Honus Wagner was a shortstop who played in the major leagues from 1897 to 1917. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, receiving more votes than Babe Ruth. He is considered by many baseball historians to be the greatest shortstop of all time.
The Real Estalker Mama was a little harsh on this one but I don't think the Westlake,Texas home of baseball player Mark Teixeira is all that bad. Especially if you are a golfer. It's located in the posh Vaquero development which offers residents a Tom Fazio golf course, swim center, fishing ponds a fitness center and a clubhouse. The house itself has four bedrooms and is nearly 7,000 square feet. Teixeira, who is a first baseman, used to play for the Texas Rangers but currently plays for the Atlanta Braves (he recently signed up for a one-year contract so he will be there a while longer. He and his wife purchased the home in 2005 for $3.99 million. His Texas home has a bit of that dreaded modern Tuscan look going on but it really isn't terrible. It's got a nice negative-edge pool with a nice outdoor entertaining area. Sure it's a little stodgy and Pottery Barn catalog-like but it seems like a home that looks like it would be on MTV Cribs and many people would find it charming. Not my taste perhaps, but not bad at all. As the Real Estalker Mama did mention, the couple did show admirable decorating restraint when they could have really could have ridden the train to tackytown. And even though the library has a staircase in it, the wood-paneled walls are delightful. It is listed at $5.75 million.
Dallas billionaire and sports team owner, Tom Hicks is able to do something a lot of other billionaire sports owners are not, he gets double duty from his new Boeing 757. Not only is his hockey team, the Dallas Stars using the plane but his baseball team, the Texas Rangers, will use the same plane once their season comes around. The plane probably won't be too much help for his other sports ownerships, Mesquite Championship Rodeo and 50 percent of the English football (soccer) team Liverpool FC.
Baseball isn't a sport particularly known for its expensive equipment. A bat, a ball, a pair of cleats and of course a glove. The humble glove gets a luxurious upgrade with the glove from Rawling known as the Primo. The Primo costs $400 and is made of Italian leather which is hand-sewn into a three-layer design. Each one takes two days to make and Rawlings made just 3,000 this year. The glove has yet to connect with most MLB players. Some think it is too heavy, most are just attached to their tried and true gloves that have been carefully broken in.
The Wall Street Journal and Bob over at Berg Properties led me to the listing for Johnny Damon's gorgeous 2,410 square foot apartment at at 151 E. 58th Street. Damon bought the apartment for $5,555,000 back in 2006. Now I used to be a fan of Damon back before the hair, when he first started to play for the Red Sox but my affection for the man ended when he went to play for the Yankees. Still, respect must be paid for this is a lovely place and it saddens me to think of him giving this up for a place in the burbs with a pool as the WSJ mentioned.
The apartment has three bedrooms including a master suite with two walk-in closets and a dressing area and a master bath with marble mosaic floors, double sinks, a bathtub and a shower. The apartment on a high floor at One Beacon Park has views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline and the building has concierge service, 24 hour doorman, fitness center, basement storage and valet parking. The windowed kitchen has stainless steel appliances, Italian Basaltina stone countertops and a large dining area with a banquette. It is listed at $8.2 million. After the jump, not a piece of sports memorabilia in sight but note what looks like a Harley Davidson pool table.
The Red Sox nation has a new way to show their allegiance that is a bit more elegant than a giant foam finger. Boston jeweler Alpha Omega has a new collection of sterling silver jewelry and gifts that celebrate the team. The souvenir pieces include a money clip and cuff links with the Boston "B" or the Red Sox logo, a charm bracelet with a baseball, bat, helmet and Red Sox logo charms, and a keychain featuring baseball, mitt and Red Sox logo charms. Prices range from $30 to $250.
The World Series is over and most of the Bowl games are barely on the horizon, but one thing that is just as important as who is playing is where you are going to be when you watch the game. Forbes Traveler has picked out the best skyboxes in North America. Their slideshow even gives you a sneak peek inside each and every location. Here is the list of the top spots, the price (per season unless otherwise indicated) and their home teams and, if you end up having to change team allegiances to get in to the top boxes, remember that your friends will forgive you as long as you invite them up, too.
Luxury boxes at The Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays ($32,000 a game)
The Pool Zone at Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,900 per game, pictured)
Suites at FedEx Field, Washington Redskins ($75,000 to $200,000)
Platinum executive suites at Air Canada Centre, Toronto Maple Leafs ($287,000 to $465,000 )
The Lofts at Cardinals Stadium, Arizona Cardinals ($65,000 to $125,000)
President's box at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, host of the U.S. Open ($12,000 to $25,000 per session)
Luxury boxes at Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots ($325,000)
Suites at Bank of America Stadium, Carolina Panthers ($59,000 to $100,000+)
Luxury box suites at Busch Stadium, Saint Louis Cardinals ($105,000 to $185,000)
During the season, every sports fan wants a crystal ball - preferably one that will help them pick the winners for the rest of the year. This crystal ball does not have those powers of prediction, but it might be even better if you are a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Made of fully-leaded crystal from Waterford, the St. Louis 2006 World Series Commemorative Baseball celebrates the team's victory over the Detroit Tigers. A limited number of the hand-carved balls will be made, and each will be individually numbered and packed with a certificate of authenticity. Price $165.
The Cincinnati Reds have announced a new luxury suite. They have partnered with Frontgate, to create the Frontgate Outdoor Luxury Suite at Great American Ballpark. The suite has high-end outdoor furniture including chaise lounges, outdoor rugs and beverage tubs. It is located above the owner's suite above home plate and will remain open the rest of the season. it's just the latest in the park's innovative suites. The most interesting one is the Living Legends Suite which offers the chance to enjoy luxury suite with a baseball VIP. The Living Legends Suite package includes 18 suite tickets, an upscale dining package and the chance to hang out with Joe Nuxhall, Tom Browning, George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr., Tracy Jones or Lee May. The Living Legends package costs $5,000.
Babe Ruth's 1918 baseball
bat sold Friday at Mastro Auctions' Sports
Auction for $101,069. The white-ash, Louisville Slugger was one of Ruth's first professional model, signature
contract bat, meaning that it was created specifically for and approved by him. It has "George 'Babe' Ruth"
stamped on the knob of the bat, as well as "Trademark Reg U.S. Pat Off."
The bat that Babe Ruth used to hit the
first home run at the inaugural game at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 1923 was sold by Sothebys in 2004 for
$1.265 million.
Wikipedia still reports it as one of the seminal moments in the trading card collecting field: In February, 2007, a 'near mint-mint' Honus Wagner sold for $2.3 million. At that point it was probably the highest sale a baseball card in history. 
The Cincinnati Reds have announced a new luxury suite. They have partnered with 
