MLB contracts signed by Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron up for auction

by

An auction house is offering 15 vintage Major League Baseball contracts signed by some of the all-time greats.

The contracts for sale include deals signed by Mickey Mantle with the New York Yankees in 1953, as well as one inked by Hank Aaron with the Atlanta Braves ahead of his historic, record-breaking 715th home run in April 1974.

“They’re pretty amazing,” RR Auction’s executive vice president, Bobby Livingston, told The Post Wednesday. “They’re like time capsules. These are quality artifacts from the golden age of baseball.”

A top bid of $10,000 has been submitted for Mantle’s contract, although Livingston expects that figure to grow sizably. Livingston said the Yankee legend made just $17,500 for the 1953 season, during which he led the Bronx Bombers to their fifth consecutive World Series win.

“We expect it to go for much more than that,” Livingston said. “More than what he got paid that year.”

As of Wednesday, a $2,750 bid has been received for Aaron’s contract, which the home run king “held in his hands and signed,” Livingston said, giving it particularly high value among baseball collectors.

Other offerings include deals signed by pitcher Whitey Ford with the Yankees in 1963 and fireballer Bob Gibson’s 1961 pact in Spanish with the Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico.

In addition to the contracts, a 1927 New York Yankees payroll check signed by first baseman Lou Gehrig is also up for sale. Gehrig endorsed the $707.52 check using a fountain pen, according to RR Auction.

The auction, which started Friday, is scheduled to run through June 10, Livingston said.

“The response from the public for baseball legends like Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle has been great,” he told The Post. “These are historic documents from the prime years of these ballplayers. Each one of these contracts is like a time capsule.”