Mickey Mantle certainly knew something of poverty. He grew up the son of a lead miner in rural Oklahoma. In his later years, though, one has to believe that the Mick did pretty well for himself. One of the most beloved athletes in our nation's history, he surrounded himself with money-making opportunities.

One has to wonder how he'd feel about this. The Mantle family is auctioning off virtually any artifact they can get their hands on. This sale includes every professional contract that Mantle ever signed, two of his MVP trophies, several significant baseballs and one of his World Series rings. In total, 300 items are on the block.

I have to wonder aloud if many, perhaps all, of these items belong in an appropriate museum somewhere.