Sports Rings Stolen

Five replica commemorative sports rings valued at over $3000 each were stolen from the Sports Museum of New England last week, police officials said.

Four of the replicas of championship rings belong to Don Baylor of the 1986 Red Sox, Larry Bird of the 1984 Celtics, Bobby Orr of the 1972 Bruins, and the 1985 Patriots team.

The collection also includes a band saluting Carl Yazstremski for his 23 year with the Red Sox.

Museum curator Dick Johnson said the original rings are safely with the athletes.

Museum officials discovered the shattered display case at about noon on Friday, said Johnson. The case is still under investigation, and the police have no suspects.

"I'm not sure how they circumvented the security alarms," Johnson said. The museum, located in the CambridgeSide Galleria, is protected by motion detector and mall security.

Johnson ruled out the possibility of museum employees as suspects.

"Someone had checked the space thoroughly as a spectator and knew that smashing the case was the only way to get to them," Johnson said. "If they had intimate knowledge of the display case, they could get in without smashing it."

Security Boost

Museum officials have taken extra security precautions, according to Johnson.

"We never expect this to happen again," he said, refusing to comment on the extent of the security measures.

Johnson said the thieves stole the rings because they are attractive and portable.

"Home plate from Braves Field weighs 40 pounds," he said. "It's a little hard to schlep around."

Johnson is looking into the possibility of reproducing the replicas again.