CHICAGO — The Cubs are now proud owners of a one-of-a-kind trophy made of gold and silver and worth about $15,000.
The Cubs were awarded the Commissioner's Trophy early Thursday morning, given each year to the champions of Major League Baseball. There's only one Stanley Cup — given to the National Hockey League champions but kept by the NHL — but a new Commissioner's Trophy is made every year.
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According to Major League Baseball's website, the Commissioner's Trophy weighs about 30 pounds and is about 2 feet tall. Tiffany and Co. master artisans create the trophy over about three months. More than 200 troy ounces of sterling silver are used. The hardware also has 30 flags, one for each MLB team, with "latitude/longitude lines symbolizing the world and 24-karat vermeil stitches representing those on a baseball," according to Major League Baseball.
The trophy debuted in 1967 — before that baseball champions were given rings — and it was called the "World Series Trophy." The St. Louis Cardinals were the first team to ever receive the trophy, which was renamed the "Commissioner's Trophy" in 1985. The words "Presented by the Commissioner of Baseball" — currently Rob Manfred — are inscribed at the trophy's base.
Estimates of the trophy's actual worth range — if you melted the metal — between $15,000 and about $7,500.
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