Willie Stargell's World Series ring, MVP award are up for auction

Willie Stargell's 1979 National League MVP award and his '79 World Series ring are up for auction, as part of a collection of the Hall of Famer's personal items being sold by his widow, Margaret Weller-Stargell.

"Willie's collection will do very well at auction," said Terry Melia, spokesman for SCP Auctions, Inc. "We expect it to clear more than half a million dollars when it's all said and done."

In total, 20 items from Stargell's personal memorabilia collection will be sold by SCP Auctions as part of its 2017 Spring Premier, with bidding open online from May 24 to June 10.

In addition to the MVP award and World Series ring, Stargell's Hall of Fame induction ring, two personal player World Series trophies from 1971 and 1979 and a 1962-82 Rawlings "Career Bronzed Glove" award will be auctioned.

Each item will come with a letter from the Stargell family.

"It's important to us that we share Willie's memorabilia with baseball fans and collectors," Weller-Stargell said in an email. "Those are the people he played for, and it's our desire that his coveted awards wind up in the hands of those who will appreciate the items the most."

Melia expects the MVP award to fetch the most, with a $25,000 opening bid and an early estimate for a $150,000 winning bid. The 10-carat gold World Series ring will start at $20,000 with a final bid estimate of $125,000.

"These were hard-earned items that Willie competed for," Weller-Stargell said, "and it's our hope that this auction not only reminds people of his greatness on the baseball field but also how he carried himself with dignity off the field."

Stargell, commonly referred to as "Pops" in his later years, died April 9, 2001, at age 61. The late first baseman for the Pirates had a historic MLB career, highlighted by 475 home runs and 1,540 runs in Pittsburgh.

"I think it's amazing whenever a player is able to complete his entire career with one team, and Willie stayed with the Pirates for 21 years," Melia said. "That's remarkable."

In addition to Stargell's memorabilia, there are 723 total lots — an auction term referring to the number of items being sold — including, most notably, the hand-written founding documents from the MLB's original eight owners in 1876. At the time, the league was called the "National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs."

The historic documents spell out the rules and regulations of the league, written during an 1876 meeting in New York.

In addition, J. Ross Greene, a vintage card collector from Peachtree City, Ga., is selling a rare 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card as one of his 134 lots. The card, which depicts the Pirates' Hall of Fame shortstop, got its name, "The Original Wagner," because it was the first of its kind to show up in mainstream media on Nov. 6, 1930.