Dodgers Blue Heaven: Hanley's Disgusting 2013 Batting Helmet is on Auction

Friday, July 25, 2014

Hanley's Disgusting 2013 Batting Helmet is on Auction

I still remember last season like it was yesterday. That excitement and awe still resonates in my mind. When the Dodgers, shockingly, rattled off a cavalcade of winning unmatched in club history, I thought that this could not be really happening. Was I living a dream? Were we all?

Some folks believed that the emergence of Puig and the continued brilliance of Kershaw was the reason for our rise. I think Hanley Ramirez's powerful right-handed bat, finally healthy, was the final rock that caused the avalanche.

2013 proved to be unforgettable, and the thing I most remember about Hanley and his season was that pine-tar laden batting helmet that looked like a mixture of snot, feces and chocolate. It's like it had magically coalesced to insure that all who stared at it too long would be too disgusted to go on. Opposing catchers were sickened by it, pitchers could not possibly concentrate and umpires were too mesmerized to pay attention. If not for a careless pitch that knocked Ramirez out for the playoffs, I think that helmet would have taken us to the promised land.

Seriously... I'm not joking!

Anyway, Huggins & Scott Auctions has the real batting helmet Hanley used that season up for sale. Check it out below.

(Auction Link)

It has all of the gunk, dirt and grime we all remember. There is even a 2013 Post-Season sticker attached to the back of it. Go here to check out the auction. The starting price is steep at $1,500.00.

Via the auction description:

Already a veteran of nine big league seasons, superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez reached his first-ever postseason in 2013 and powered the Dodgers to an NLDS triumph over Atlanta with a home run, six RBI and a .500 batting average. As he posted those astounding numbers in the October spotlight, Ramirez wore this batting helmet. The blue plastic shell features a left ear flap, while an “LA” decal is adhered to the front center. At the back, Ramirez’ number “13” is displayed in white-on-blue decals and accompanied by a “2013 Postseason” logo decal. The interior is home to leather-covered padding (with a “Rawlings” label) affixed along the perimeter, back, crown and ear flap. The outer shell is caked with a generous amount of pine tar, which is photo matched in the October 28, 2013 edition of ESPN Magazine.

Below are more photos of the helmet. Click any pic to embiggen.