Jackie Robinson's 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers Contract Sells For $276,000

Photo via National Baseball Hall of Fame Library

Jackie Robinson's 1949 contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers has been sold for $276,000.

In a report from ESPN, the contract, which was sold early Monday morning, was much more than what Robinson was offered by the Dodgers when he first signed it. The contract was for $21,000, which is approximately $215,000 in today's dollars.

"Jackie Robinson is a name that transcends sports fandom, which gave this contract a broad appeal, and bidders clamored for an opportunity to acquire such a historic piece," Brian Dwyer, president of Robert Edward Auctions, which sold the document, said.

According to Dwyer, only two other contracts from iconic baseball players have sold for more than Robinson's did — Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

A number of other Robinson collectibles were auctioned off recently including, a bat that the player used in the 1955 World Series for $255,000, and a hat worn by him in the mid-1950s for $65,025.

April 15, 2017, marked the 70th anniversary of Robinson breaking the baseball color line when the Dodgers originally started him at first base.

Robinson was also recently honored with his own statue at Dodger Stadium. Created by sculptor Branly Cadet, the bronze statue depicts Robinson sliding into the plate with a steal of home. The monument was unveiled on April 15.

"As an artist, there is a lot of thought and emotion that goes into the piece," Cadet said in an interview with San Francisco Chronicle. "It can be a very emotional process thinking about the person I'm rendering and what he went through and the impact he had on people's lives."