Key memorabilia from late Pittsburgh Pirates great Willie Stargell's historic 1979 season are being sold at auction this month.
Stargell's National League MVP award and World Series ring are among 20 items being sold by his widow, Margaret Weller-Stargell, through SCP Auctions Inc.
Terry Melia, a spokesman for the auction company, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he expects the Stargell items to fetch more than $500,000. The MVP award is estimated for a $150,000 winning bid and the World Series ring at $125,000, according to Melia.
Other items of Stargell's that are up for bid include his Hall of Fame induction ring and a 1995 World Series ring he received as a coach with the Atlanta Braves.
"It's important to us that we share Willie's memorabilia with baseball fans and collectors," Weller-Stargell wrote to the newspaper 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."
Stargell was a seven-time All-Star who played 21 seasons with the Pirates. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988 on his first ballot. He died in 2001.
The Stargell items are part of SCP Auctions' 2017 Spring Premier, a collection that includes founding documents for Major League Baseball and a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card.
The auction will run from May 24 to June 10.