PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The contract that sent slugger Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees and started the legendary curse on the Red Sox that kept them from winning the World Series, has failed to sell on an Internet auction site, where bids had topped $1 million.

The online auction ended Tuesday with the highest bid at $470,100. Alan Shawn Feinstein, the Providence philanthropist selling the original contract, said he didn’t want to accept the bid, believing the contract is worth more.

He said most members of foundation’s board are in agreement not to sell the contract for $470,000.

Feinstein, who made millions in financial publications and has given away millions to schools and anti-hunger programs, put the contract on eBay Oct. 30, three days after the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series championship in 86 years.

After the Sox’s historic performance, many fans declared the “Curse of the Bambino” finally dead. Feinstein decided it was the perfect time to sell the contract and give the proceeds to charity.

Feinstein said in the 11 years he’s owned the contract – which he bought for $99,000 – he’s used it to raise about $2 million. Feinstein has sold copies of the contract in exchange for charitable donations.

“If I can take that contract and raise $2 million dollars for charity, imagine what Red sox management could do by distibuting copies of it,” he said.

Feinstein said people “close to the Red Sox” have said the team may be interested in acquiring the contract.

The six-page, type written “memorandum of agreement” is dated Dec. 26, 1919, notarized with the seals of both ballclubs and signed by then-Red Sox owner Harry Frazee and Col. Jacob Ruppert, the Yankees owner.

The eBay description calls it “the most famous sports contract in history.”

Before selling Ruth, the Sox had won five World Series matchups, including victories in 1915, 1916 and 1918, with Ruth as pitcher. They didn’t win another until this year. In the meantime, the Yankees have won 26 World Series championships.

The online auction began at $50,000 and had attracted more than 200 bids. Some 26 bids over $1 million were retracted or canceled.

Reasons for the cancellations included that the bidder entered the wrong amount, the bidder couldn’t be contacted or there was an “administrative cancellation,” meaning eBay wouldn’t approve the bid.

Feinstein considered selling the contract through an auction house but wanted to capitalize on the momentum of the Red Sox win last month. The auction houses had said it would take some time to put the contract on the block.

Feinstein expects to discuss the contract with his board in the next few days.

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On the Net:

http://www.feinsteinfoundation.org

http://www.ebay.com











AP-ES-11-09-04 2222EST