Heritage Auctions sue Braves over Hank Aaron memorabilia, claims reputation is damaged

ATLANTA — An auction company has filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta Braves claiming the franchise’s cease-and-desist letter questioning the authenticity of Hank Aaron auction items has damaged its reputation.

Heritage Auctions planned to auction off the bases and home plate they say are from the night Aaron hit his record-breaking 715th home run on April 8, 1974. The company’s website also listed seven other Braves game-used jerseys, bats and a baseball cap as part of the auction.

“If any of the disputed items are found to have been acquired illegally, they are the rightful property of the Atlanta Braves and should be returned to the Atlanta Braves immediately,” the Braves’ letter stated.

After it received the letter, Heritage Auction issued a statement that said the Braves “did not have all the facts” and they hoped to have it “expediently and amicably resolved.”

On Wednesday, though, the auction company filed a lawsuit in federal court saying the cease and desist letter damaged its reputation. The lawsuit states that Heritage Auctions has delayed the sale of the 715 bases as it investigates, but said the other items are valid.

“The consigned Items are dated 1974 or earlier, including uniforms worn by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and the 1948 Boston Braves. The consigned items were consigned by five different consignors. The other Braves memorabilia were acquired lawfully by four different consignors, none of whom has ever had any connection to the Braves or to the consignor of the 715 Bases,” Heritage’s attorneys wrote.

“While the 715 Bases have never before been sold publicly, each of the other Braves memorabilia has been sold at public auction at least once previously, and twice in the case of one of the items, since 2006 and without any objection from Braves,” the lawsuit continues.

In a statement on Wednesday night, an Atlanta Braves spokesperson said they “intend to vigorously defend the ownership of our property in a court of law,” and will not issue further statements.