The Amazing Sports Immortals Museum

World renowned collector Joel Platt founded the Sports Immortals museum in 1995. Joel is a member of the Western Pennsylvania Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and a recent nominee for the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Israel.

I have known for years about Joel and his amazing collection of over one million mementos from the world’s greatest athletes. When I moved to South Florida four years ago, I visited Sports Immortals a few times and I love talking to Joel and his son Jim.

It is a fascinating place which features rotating displays that will leave you wanting to come back. There is also a retail store offering a selection of over 20,000 unique and rare sports items to purchase. His most priceless items are kept in out-of-State security vaults.

Going to the Sports Immortals Museum will be an experience people will treasure forever.

Joel’s inspirational story began in 1943 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the young age of four years old when he was injured in a gasoline explosion at his uncle’s car dealership. Joel was hospitalized and bedridden for over a year and his parents would bring him baseball cards to entertain him during his recovery period. His favorite cards were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. One night in the hospital Joel had a dream that Babe Ruth visited him and said, “Kid don’t give up, you can get better and one day be a major league baseball player or build a hall of fame to honor sports heroes.”

Once Joel recovered, he set his life on those two goals. He became an outstanding shortstop at the University of Duquesne but injured his arm prior to signing with the Boston Red Sox. With his major league dream ending Joel concentrated on his other goal to curate the mementos from sports legends and build an attraction that would honor and enshrine the world’s greatest athletes. To accomplish this goal, Joel has traveled over one million miles over a 75 year period to curate over one million mementos. Joel’s collection has been recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as “the largest collection on all sports in the world.” Just a few items to mention include the famous T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, a game used autographed bat from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig’s first baseman glove, and all of Jim Thorpe’s mementos including his trophies, traditional Native American clothing, and Carlisle Indians football uniform.

Of the many famous athletes Joel has met, he said his favorite was Muhummad Ali. He met him six times and explained, “Each meeting was a monumental experience. Ali treated everyone like they were the champion, and he was the fan.” Joel added, “Ali gave me so many items that I could open a Muhummad Ali museum.

Joel added that his favorite Jewish athlete was former Hall of Fame Quarterback Sid Luckman. Joel said, “Sid was a great player and a wonderful person.” Luckman’s mother attended her first game in 1943 when the Chicago Bears played the New York Giants. Inspired by her presence Sid set a record by throwing 7 touchdown passes and dedicated the game ball to his mother. This football was Sid’s most prized possession and when he passed away he left the ball to his good friend Joel Platt for the Sports Immortals Museum.

While amassing such a collection took decades, Joel said his greatest acquisition came in 1970 when he obtained all of Jim Thorpe’s mementos from his wife Patricia. The items included Jim’s Carlisle Indians jersey, trophies, medals, helmets and his 1912 Olympic album containing an original letter from President William Taft congratulating Jim on his gold medal victories in the Decathlon and Pentathlon events at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Jim Thorpe is recognized as the greatest all around athlete of all time. In addition to being an Olympic champion, he is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played major league baseball.

Joel and his son Jim’s ultimate goal is to establish the Sports Immortals International Hall of Fame Complex that will utilize his famous collection in conjunction with today’s latest.

Immersive experiential technology to bring the world’s greatest athletes to life to tell their stories and inspire visitors of all ages to achieve success and realize their dreams. Joel said “he wants to make enshrinement of Sports Immortals the greatest honor achievable in sports.” I asked Joel, is there anything you do not have? He replied, “We are always looking to acquire

rare historical sports items and collections.” For more information on Sports Immortals, call: (561) 997-2575. Or visit their website at: www.sportsimmortals.com. The museum is located at 6830 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33487. You cannot miss it as there is a 12 foot statue of Babe Ruth in front.

Neil Keller is a Jewish historian. Visit his website at: www.NeilKeller.com to learn who is Jewish.