Home Run Derby

MLB players have a lot of reasons to show up to every game and give their best.

The money. The women. The accolades. The money. The fans. The clubhouse buffet table. The money.

But above all those things, they all say they’re in it for One Thing … The Bling.

The Ring.

So let’s take look at some of that Bling. We’ll start this series with the 21st Century …

2001 - Arizona Diamondbacks

If this ring looks cheap, it’s because it is. This is the replica of the Diamondbacks’ real ring, which was given out to fans.

I know that because World series rings don’t have corporate sponsors like “Bank One” engraved on the side … yet.

I couldn’t find out many details on the ring, but it does have a nice tribute in the form of the words “Never forget 9/11″ on the side.

Hey Hey - I found a pic of the Diamondbacks’ real championship ring.

Unfortunately, it looks about as cheap as the replica.

2002 - California Angels

For years, the Angels have played baseball in the “Big A” of Anaheim Stadium - so when they finally brought home the championship bling … what else would be on their rings than a Big A?

InterGold Ltd. did the Angels proud with this 14-Karat Gold specimen. With nearly 100 diamonds and rubies, it puts the D-Backs 2001 ring to shame.

2003 - Florida Marlins

This 3 1/2 ounce monstrosity is just hideous, but I bet players and coaches who have it absolutely love it.

It’s more than twice the size of the Angels’ rings and the it’s largest and most expensive World Series ring … ever. It’s so big it has the name, number and position of the player as well as the team’s regular season record, the results of all three postseason series, and the likeness of the World Series Trophy on the side.

Designed by owner Jeff Luria and crafted by InterGold of 14-K White Gold with 18-K Gold inserts, 13 rubies, and 229 diamonds. One of those diamonds is a rare teal diamond which serves as the Marlin’s eye.

2004 - Boston Red Sox

This is sharp. It looks like a Championship ring right off the bat. And the contrast of the Red B on the diamond is striking against the White Gold ring.
I like how the Red Sox added a little thumb to the nose of the Yankees with the words “The Greatest Comeback in History” etched onto the side of the ring.

Made by Jostens with 18K white gold, encrusted with 1.89 carats of small diamonds and two carats of small rubies in the B.

2005- Chicago White Sox

This ring stands out a bit from the rest. First off, it’s not a square like seemingly every other ring out there. And the Old English “Sox” works well.

Not a lot of words on here, but just enough to get the point across. On one side, the Sox’ 99-63 record, the person’s name and position, and the MLB logo. On the other, “World Champions 2005″ and the Sox’ 11-1 postseason record.

Crafted by Jostens of 14-karat gold with a black onyx stone base and 95 diamonds of varying size, weighing more than two carats.

2006 - St. Louis Cardinals

A return to the square ring. The Cardinals players had the choice of small, medium or large - and naturally they went with large.

The lack of shadowing around the words “St. Louis Cardinals” and “World Champions” looks a bit odd, but it’s more than made up for by the beautiful artistry in the middle.

InterGold did the honors for the Cardinals with a base of 14-Karat Gold with fifty round diamonds while rubies comprise the interlocking STL.

 Loading …

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 at 11:43 pm and is filed under Angels, Baseball Bling, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Red Sox, White Sox. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.