Ray Knight's 1986 UPI National League Comeback Player of the Year Award Plaque
After a disappointing 1985 season, Knight rebounded in 1986 to hit .298 and helped pace the New York Mets to the World Series title. In recognition of this turn-around season, Knight was recognized by the news outlet U.P.I. (United Press International) with this award. It appears as a mahogany wooden plaque with insert placard inscribed to "Ray Knight New York Mets UPI Comeback Player of the Year 1986". Important presentational award to team leader of the '86 Amazing Mets World Championship team. Outstanding overall condition with some scattered light surface wear. Includes certificate of provenance from Ray Knight collection. 15x11".
The Personal Collection of Ray Knight
The Golf Auction is honored to offer the personal collection on behalf of 1986 World Series Most Valuable Player, Ray Knight. This opportunity comes to us through a satisfied previous client of our auction house in LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez. We had the pleasure of presenting some of the items from her personal collection in our August 2024 offering. Nancy and Ray were the power couple in the 1980s with both rising to the top of professional sports careers in LPGA golf and Major League Baseball. At the height of these careers, they married in 1982. They each supported the others career with Ray often in the gallery at LPGA tournaments and joining together in charity events. Nancy would alter her golf schedule around baseball season to make nearly all of Ray's home games. In the 1986 World Series, Ray would hit .391 and star in the hero's role in game 6 and 7 comeback wins of the World Champion New York Mets leading to his being named that series Most Valuable Player. Nancy was a fan in the stands for all of those games. The '86 season was only part of an outstanding baseball career for Knight that saw him make his Big-League debut in 1974 with the Cincinnati Reds before replacing Reds legend Pete Rose at third base in 1979. A season that saw Knight hit .318 third in the National League as he finished fifth in League MVP balloting. NL all-star team selections followed in 1980 and 1982 before he moved on to the Mets and the heroics of the 1986 season. Ray rounded out his MLB playing career with the Detroit Tigers in 1988 before returning to manage the Cincinnati Reds 1996-97, 2003. Not just a baseball player, Ray excelled at golf, with it reported in 1988 that even won once in the hundreds of matches he played golf with Nancy holing an 18th green putt to post a 72 to 73 triumph.
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