Jackie Robinson is still making history.
His game-worn Brooklyn Dodgers cap, specially designed to protect him from racially motivated beanings, sold for a record $590,994 at auction on Saturday.
Lelands The sale, by Lelands Auctions, broke the record for the most paid at auction for a hat, eclipsing the $537,278 paid for a 1934 Babe Ruth Yankees cap in 2012.
Robinson’s blue cap came from his widow, Rachel.
Dating from before the advent of batting helmets, the padded cap, with three protective metal plates sewn in the lining, was worn by the Hall of Famer during the “1947-48 period,” according to an auction letter from Rachel Robinson.
Lelands said the cap “is representative of both baseball and the race issue, highlighting the tensions of the period.”
While breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Robinson was named Rookie of the Year, batting .297 with 12 homers, 48 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.
