displaying a commemorative ring given to him by the
Boston Red Sox after the
2004 World Series Prior to the
1922 World Series, players on the World Series-winning team were given keepsakes, such as a pin or
pocketwatch fob. The first World Series ring was given to the members of the
New York Giants following their victory in the 1922 World Series over the
New York Yankees. When the Yankees won the
1923 World Series, players were given a commemorative pocket watch. Rings became an annual tradition beginning in 1926 when the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Yankees in the World Series. In past years, players often requested other items in place of rings, including
cufflinks and
tie clips.
Frankie Crosetti and
Tommy Henrich requested
shotguns from the Yankees following World Series championships. Members of the
1973 World Series champion
Oakland Athletics were upset when team owner
Charlie O. Finley, following salary disputes with his players, presented his team with rings that were identical to the ones received after winning the
1972 World Series, except without the one-
carat diamond.
Reggie Jackson referred to them as "trash rings". The first ring to contain more than one diamond was the
1977 World Series ring commissioned by the Yankees, which had over a dozen diamonds. Over time, ring designs have become larger and more elaborate, with
Yogi Berra saying in 2009, "They're so much bigger now, they're like weapons. You can't even wear them." After breaking their long championship drought in 2016, the
Chicago Cubs commissioned rings said to be worth up to $70,000, consisting of 214 diamonds at carats, three carats of rubies, and carats of sapphires. Teams have also increasingly added distinctive touches to make their rings unique from previous versions. For their
2007 World Series rings, the Boston Red Sox commissioned a special version for players who were on both the 2004 and 2007 championship teams, and for 2013, they included the
Boston Strong logo on the side. The
St. Louis Cardinals had the
Rally Squirrel engraved into their
2011 World Series championship rings. The
2016 World Series rings for the
Chicago Cubs each contain 108 diamonds around the bezel, one for each year that the team went without a championship, and also include an image of
a goat on the inner band. Companies that have been commissioned to create World Series rings include
Jostens,
Tiffany & Co.,
Dieges & Clust, and the
L.G. Balfour Company.
Distribution Players typically receive their rings in
pregame ceremonies early in the next season. Since the rings are commissioned by the team, many non-players affiliated with the team, including
front office executives,
coaches, scouts, broadcasters, locker room staff, and groundskeepers also receive rings at the team's discretion. the Cardinals commissioned 400 rings in 2006; Players who were only briefly on the team's roster during a championship season and those no longer affiliated with the winning team also often receive rings. As both the physical size and number of rings given out has increased, teams have started producing both "A" and "B" versions, and sometimes "C" versions, that are similar in appearance but smaller in size and use cheaper materials. The most expensive "A" rings are typically reserved for full-time players, coaches, and executives, while bit players and other team employees receive the cheaper "B" and "C" rings.
Alex Rodriguez said his
2009 World Series ring "means the world" to him, and that he would wear it daily.
Sergio Romo of the
2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants said of his ring: "In all reality, this is why we play right here." Former player and current Giants broadcaster
Duane Kuiper said, "It's not a hug. It's not a handshake. It's not a pat on the back. It's a ring. It's the one thing every professional athlete wants: something they can hold onto, something they can show off." Players' names and uniform numbers are often individually inscribed in their ring.
Memorabilia World Series rings are considered valuable
sports memorabilia. In 2007,
Casey Stengel's
1951 World Series ring sold for $180,000 (). When
Lenny Dykstra went through
bankruptcy in 2009, his
1986 World Series ring sold for $56,762.50 through
Heritage Auctions, three times as much as was expected. Others have sold their rings on
eBay.
Doug Baker of the
1984 World Series champion
Detroit Tigers had a new ring made after his original was stolen, and when he recovered the original ring, he sold it for $12,322. Cucho Rodriguez, a scout for the Red Sox, sold his 2004 World Series ring for over $53,000 and in 2011, Scott Williamson auctioned off his 2004 ring for $89,000. On the August 15, 2013 episode of
Pawn Stars, a 2004 World Series ring was offered for sale but it could not be sold as the ring once belonged to disgraced pitcher
Brandon Puffer. The shop declined to make an offer, claiming Puffer's off-field problems destroyed the resale value of the ring. The
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum contains an exhibit on World Series rings. The
New York Yankees Museum, located in
Yankee Stadium, has an exhibit with replicas of all Yankees' World Series rings, including the pocket watch given after the 1923 World Series.
Yogi Berra won the most World Series rings with 10, as a player.
Frankie Crosetti won 17 as a player and as a coach. ==See also==