Yankees Auction Ortiz Jersey For Benefit of Jimmy Fund

Remember that Yankee stadium "curse" brought on by the David Ortiz jersey? The team's owners spent time and money digging up the area where a construction worker buried it, and found it. Success! Curse avoided! They donated it to the Jimmy Fund, which auctioned it off to the tune of $175,000; the high bidder was a car dealer named Kevin Meehan, who says he'll display his prize in one of his dealerships. He also got a new Ortiz jersey and a bunch of other valuable stuff. The Yankees noted that the intended curse against the team misfired and resulted in funding for research and treatment against pediatric cancer. Read more here, and in an official release from the team management.

Oh, and the BoSox fan who caused all the trouble? His name is Gino Castignoli. I was going to say that apparently he gets nuttin', but it occurs to me that maybe he can take the value of the jersey off on his taxes as a charitable deduction to the Jimmy Fund. No, probably not. He didn't, after all, donate it himself and his intent was fairly clearly to leave it at the stadium for the benefit (?) of the Yankees. Guess I'll have to ask one of my tax law colleagues.