 Last night’s World Series Game 6 brought to a close the hopes of the Philadelphia Phillies to earn two championship titles in a row. When the New York Yankees Closer Mariano Rivera pitched the final out of the game, he gave his team their 27th World Series win, and a fifth Championship ring for himself, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada. Although the players will not receive their rings until a ceremony at the beginning of the 2010 season, they still have a trophy to hoist in the air, parties to attend, and a parade the likes of which only New York City can give them after waiting 9 years to become champions again. The rings will be, undoubtedly, worth waiting for. The Yankees 2000 World Series ring weighs more than an ounce, features 22 diamonds and 34.5 grams of gold. It is so large that it has three subway cars—representing the ‘Subway Series’ victory over the Mets and three consecutive championships—etched above the fa?ade of Yankee Stadium. The value of the ring is relative, since it has an ‘intrinsic value’ based on what it represents. After the 2000 win, a memorabilia dealer paid $18,000 for the ring of a Yankee executive, and Dick Williams, consultant to the team at the time, sold his ring at auction for $34,787. The rings of players and field staff traditionally have their last names etched into the ring. Depending on the player, that can raise its value significantly, were the players willing to part with them. It is unlikely that any of them will. Alex Rodriguez has waited his entire career to get a ring, the “Fantastic Four” (Jeter, Rivera, Posada, and Pettitte) have waited 9 years to get ‘one for the thumb’, and every other player on the team is happy to be a part of a post-season that gave each one the chance to show what they’re made of. In the spring of next year, they’ll get to see what their rings are made of, and they will not be disappointed. World Series rings are notoriously showy. They are meant to be seen and admired, if not for their actual appearance, then for their meaning. Each ring for last year’s Phillies championship was made of 14-karat white gold and held 103 diamonds (one for each of the team’s regular-season wins). The left side of the ring was personalized with the player’s name above the Phillies’ Liberty Bell logo. The right side showed a World Series trophy shooting out of a tiny rendition of Citizens Bank Park, and the face of ring contained a ruby inlay and the famous Phillies “P” in more diamonds. It has been appraised for anywhere between $4,000 and $15,000. The most expensive ring to date went to the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins. After essentially buying their title during the previous off-season, the team continued their extravagant ways after team owner Jeff Luria designed the ring himself. It is huge, with enough room to fit the name, number, and position of each player onto his ring. It also showed the team’s season record, results of all three post-season series, and a likeness of the World Series trophy on the side. It was made of 14-karat gold with 16-karat inlay, 13 rubies, 229 diamonds, and the eye of the Marlin’s logo was a rare teal diamond. Odds are that the 2009 New York Yankees Championship ring will go above and beyond. Although they may have cut back on the number of people who receive them, they are not likely to be financially conservative when it comes to their commemorative rings. If there’s one thing the Yankees can do, it is spending. When the winter chill fades from Yankee Stadium and the 2010 baseball season is upon us, we will see the 2009 World Series Championship Rings. Until then, we can only imagine.
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