Kirk Gibson’s auction of World Series items brings in $1.2 million

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What’s the price of a memory?

How about $1.2 million?

That’s nearly how much the six Kirk Gibson items from the 1988 World Series brought in during an online auction that ended Saturday night.

The bat he used in Game 1 to strike the most memorable home run in Dodgers’ history led the way with a final winning bid of $575,912.40.

And they say there are no longer bargains out there.

The jersey he wore while hitting the game-winner went for $303,277.20 and the helmet for $153,388.80.

His National League MVP trophy was a comparative bargain at $110,293.20, narrowly beating out my bid of 20 bucks.

Then there was his World Series trophy at $45,578.40 and his World Series road uniform, which of course was never actually worn during a game, that went for $9,664.80.

Grand total: $1,198,114.80.

It’s the Year of the Improbable, Part II.

Gibson, currently the Diamondbacks manager, never really explained why he decided to sell the items now.

Gibby has said proceeds from the sale of the World Series trophy and MVP award will benefit his Kirk Gibson Foundation, which supports Michigan State University athletics, and to help fund his partial scholarship programs at Clarkston (Mich.) High School and Waterford (Mich.) High School, in honor of his parents, who were educators at those schools.

Those two items brought in a total of $155,871.60, leaving over $1 million in the Gibson pot.

SCP Auctions, which conducted the Internet bidding war, previously sold the bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium for $1.265 million.

-- Steve Dilbeck