Geddy Lee, famously known as the bassist and lead singer of acclaimed rock band Rush, will be auctioning off a portion of his enviable baseball memorabilia collection.
For over 40 years, the musician has been building the collection, which includes balls and bats signed by some of the game's most renowned figures like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Josh Gibson, Cal Ripken Jr., Albert Pujols and more, according to MLB.com.
Now he will be putting some 300 items up for sale in a live auction. Titled "Selections from the Geddy Lee Collection and Important Baseball Memorabilia," the auction will be presented by Christie's and will take place on Dec. 6.
"Baseballs, nobody owns them," Lee recently told The Athletic about his collection. "They're like houses. You take care of them for a while, and then they move on to the next person, the next custodian."
Among the auction's distinct items are the final-out balls from both of Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters and a ball autographed by 26 out of the 33 members of the 3,000-hit club, ranging from Ty Cobb to Miguel Cabrera.
Lee's collection not only connects with sports history but also intertwines with significant moments in American history.
The collection showcases a baseball signed by Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, and includes baseballs signed by presidents such as John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Barack Obama, some of which were used in first-pitch ceremonies.
And then there is a ball signed by all four members of the Beatles from their 1965 show at Shea Stadium, which is estimated to sell for up to $300,000.
"The items I collected over these years, I collected with passion, I collected with love, and I just have too much," Lee said. "It's time to share with the world again."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.