Rare Jackie Robinson jersey sold for $2.05 million

NEW YORK – A rare jersey from Jackie Robinson’s historic rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers 70 years ago has sold for $2.05 million at auction.

The jersey, part of a Heroes of Sports offering by Heritage Auctions, was accompanied by a letter from Robinson’s widow, Rachel, saying it is the one brought home by the Hall of Famer at the end of the 1947 season, when he became the first black player in the majors and earned Rookie of the Year honors.

The sale price set a record for a jersey from the post-World War II era, easily topping the $573,600 for a 1955 Sandy Koufax rookie jersey with the Dodgers.

A Babe Ruth jersey from 1920, his first year with the Yankees, sold for $4,415,658 in an auction in 2012, setting the record for a sports memorabilia item.

Another item from Heritage’s auction, which ended Sunday, was a customized Nike Air Jordan worn by Michael Jordan in November 1985 that went for $55,000 – setting a record for the iconic sneaker.