It's been a boom year for the memorabilia business in New York City. The detritus of two baseball stadiums makes for a lot of curios, but none may be more unique than one that is being sold on eBay at the moment. First Cuts has discovered that the wrecking ball responsible for taking down Shea Stadium is up for auction.
It's not cheap, with a starting bid of $35,000, but it could be the perfect piece for the collection of someone who really hates Shea. That would presumably rule out a good number of Mets fans, whatever mixed feelings they may have had about the unlamented Flushing landmark. Chipper Jones is out, too, so who will step up to take this home?
We know John Rocker holds no good feelings about Queens, but the 7 train seemed to hold most of hostility. While he keeps his fingers crossed for a derailment that makes one of the cars available, we'll continue searching.
Home Run Derby suggests Ron Santo as a buyer so he can cleanse the memory of 1969. That's not a bad choice, but Santo remains a revered member of the Cubs family even after the notorious collapse. There's another man, however, whose career never recovered from an indignity suffered in the shadow of auto body repair shops. Care to take a guess?
That's right. Bill Buckner. He made an All-Star team, had 2,715 career hits and spent 22 years roaming around the major leagues, but all anyone remembers is the night the ball went through his legs. He made his peace with the Red Sox faithful at their 2008 home opener, but this wrecking ball may truly close the circle. As an added bonus, he's in the real estate business now and could actually make use of the item.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
