Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
Extremely rare and desirable ring presented to players and executives of the 1944 International League champions, who would go on and also win the Junior World Series title, beating the Louisville Colonels of the American Association. It was their first International League title since 1925, when the Orioles ruled minor league baseball. Interestingly, the major league team which moved to Baltimore ten years later, the St. Louis Browns won their only American League Championship that same 1944 season. This gold ring features a raised baseball on top imprinted with “1944 CHAMPIONS” with “BALTIMORE ORIOLES INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE” around the perimeter. This size 6.75 14K gold ring has the name “Howard L. Funk” engraved in cursive on the inside of the band. We know of one other example of a 1944 International League Champions ring to ever surface at auction. This rare and timeless collectible is part of the rich history and tradition of baseball in Baltimore, and one of two rings from this championship known to exist.