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Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Thursday that he has purchased the baseball signed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Irsay paid $50,103 at the Boston-based RR Auction, which will be donating more than $15,000 to relief efforts in Ukraine, as the Russian invasion continues.
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Jim Irsay speaks during the ceremony for the retired jersey of Peyton Manning during the NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts on October 8, 2017, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ZELENSKY AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALL UP FOR SALE, PROCEEDS GOING TOWARDS RELIEF EFFORTS IN UKRAINE
OutKick relayed last month that the ball was up for sale, which was expected to go for $15,000.
Zelenskyy originally signed the ball in two languages, Ukrainian cursive, and English print, during a September 2019 visit to New York.
The ball comes with a letter signed by Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations at the time.
In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks from Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 8, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
The ball had previously been in the possession of Randy L. Kaplan, a government affairs specialist in New York. Yelchenko gifted the ball to Kaplan, who has been collecting baseballs with the John Hancock of world leaders on them since 1996.
Team owner Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts looks on from the sideline before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on October 26, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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TMZ Sports reports there were 35 bids on the baseball.
Follow Nick Geddes on Twitter @NickGeddesNews and on Instagram @nick.geddes.
