Cubs investigating auction of World Series ring, warn it could be fake

By Gordon Wittenmyer

The Cubs’ World Series ring | Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Cubs weren’t pleased to learn that one of their higher-end, personalized, official World Series rings is for sale through an auction house, which would be a violation of an agreement non-player recipients were required to sign.

The team is trying to track down the identity of the ‘‘scout’’ who’s selling it and the authenticity of the ring itself, a spokesman said.

‘‘We are currently investigating how this ring landed on an auction site for sale,’’ spokesman Julian Green said via text. ‘‘This is not an authorized sale, so we’re putting the market on notice to proceed with caution.

‘‘Caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — for any interested buyers, as this ring may be counterfeit.’’

According to a listing from Leland’s Auctions, an unidentified scout is auctioning his ring. The scout’s name isn’t mentioned in the description to ‘‘honor their anonymity,’’ but the name is engraved on the ring.

<em>Leland’s listing</em> — *Leland’s listing*

The listing described the tier of rings given to scouts, including ‘‘214 diamonds at 5.5 karats, 3 karats of genuine red rubies and 2.5 karats of genuine sapphires.’’

To receive one of the 1,908 rings distributed by the Cubs, non-players were required to sign an agreement that prohibited them from selling it without the team’s approval and gave the club the right to buy it back for $1.

Twenty-three bids had been made on the ring as of early Monday afternoon, with the price reaching $36,629.

‘‘We are taking this matter seriously and will use every available resource in our power to identify and obtain this ring,’’ Green said in the text. ‘‘Potential buyers may want to take a pass and explore safer ways to purchase World Series memorabilia.’’

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Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com