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The annual Warburton County Estate Auction was thrown into chaos on Sunday when auctioneer William Williams Keen began shouting “Swing, batter batter.”
“Fifty for the candlestick set! Do I have fifty? Fifty, thank you, sir. Sixty for the entire set, do I see sixty? Heeeeeeeeeeeeey batter batter, swing batter batter, he can’t hit, he can’t hit, sixty from the woman in the front row,” shouted Keen, waving his auctioneer’s gavel. “Do I see seventy for this engraved set of Queen Anne’s candlesticks? Seventy? Going once — let the pitch sail on by, Junior, don’t take your eye off the mound, not even for a second. Going twice!”
Several participants in the auction reported that Keen might have been confusing an old-fashioned auction with an old-fashioned baseball game.
“Seventy to the couple on the left," said Keen. "Do I see eighty? Eighty for the candlestick pair. H-O-M-E! That’s the place for me! We’ve got the bases loaded, and we’re goin’, goin’, goin’ H-O-M-E! And a pop fly to left, that’s Jones with a glove in the air, should be an easy out at the top of seventh in this tie game AND HE DROPS IT WHAT AN ERROR WHAT A BUNGLE that’s one, two, three runners in at home and the crowd at Comiskey Park is on its feet! Do you believe in miracles?! H-O-M-E! THAT’S THE PLACE FOR ME! And the Norwegian team might accomplish a feat never before seen in the history of these Games! My God! Eighty to the woman in the front row, thank you madam.”
At press time, the auction was headed to the playoffs.
