Even though South Jersey native and extremely good baseball player Mike Trout can't play right now, he's still setting records. Classic Trout.
A signed rookie Mike Trout card sold for a completely nuts $900,000 on Wednesday, the highest-selling item in an auction that included a Michael Jordan 1986-87 rookie card and Kobe Bryant's shoes from the final game of the Lakers-Sixers 2001 NBA Finals.
According to the Action Network's Darren Rovell, the card set the record for the highest-priced modern-day baseball card, and tied the record for the most expensive modern-day card.
Here's a look at the card:
Yeah, Trout's a big deal.
The card was apparently a "signed rookie chrome refractor" (don't ask) version of the Mike Trout rookie card from 2009, which was his draft year. Trout was drafted two years before he made his major league debut, and three years before he won 2012 AL Rookie of the Year, which is an interesting and fun wrinkle to the "rookie card" idea.
It's crazy to think that, just months after Trout graduated from Millville Senior High School, he was photographed for a card that eventually sold for nearly $1 million.
And this auction price might have a trickle-down effect, according to sports trading card expert Chris Steuber, who believes all Trout cards should see a boost in sale price:
Trout is of course widely regarded as the best player of his generation, with 285 home runs, 752 RBI, and a career OPS of 1.000 through nine seasons with the Angels, and he's shown no signs of slowing down. We're talking about a guaranteed Hall-of-Famer who could go down as one of the greatest baseball players in history. The cards are just going to get pricier from here.
Trout signed a 12-year extension with the Angels for an eye-watering $430 million last spring, choosing to stay out West instead of returning home to join the Phillies in the future.
NFL
But Trout is still using his influence to do good in the region. Last month, he made a pair of really cool donations to South Jersey grocery store workers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Because he's the man.
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