Stavenhagen: For baseball legends and families, memorabilia can be a blessing and a burden
From Cody Stavenhagen at The Athletic on May 21, 2020:
After the funerals and the farewells, after the sadness and the stories, we are left with things. They stare at us, collecting dust but also reminding us of a time, a place, a person we loved.
After St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial died in 2013, his family had items of obvious value: World Series rings, a ball signed by Babe Ruth, a letter from Ty Cobb. They also had small things: neckties, lighters, a wallet with an expired driver’s license.
In the 1980s, Musial had donated much of his personal memorabilia collection to the Cardinals. His MVP trophies and other awards went to the team’s museum. Musial’s wife, Lil, simply wanted the clutter out of the house.
But after Musial died at age 92, the modest four-bedroom, red-brick home in suburban St. Louis was still packed with belongings. His family faced a decision both unique and universal all at once.
What do you do with a lifetime’s worth of possessions?
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/1812930/2020/05/21/for-baseball-legends-and-families-memorabilia-can-be-a-blessing-and-a-burden/
Originally published: May 21, 2020. Last Updated: May 21, 2020.