Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey, believed to have been worn by him in the memorable Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, is on display at Heritage Auction in Irving, Texas, days before it hits a record-breaking sale.
LM Otero/AP
hide caption
convert caption
LM Otero/AP
The New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth during perhaps the most memorable moment of the baseball legend’s career has sold for $24.12 million, shattering the record for the most expensive sports collectible sold at auction.
The gray jersey, which Heritage Auctions will sell Sunday in Dallas, is believed to have been worn by Ruth when he “called his shot” in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.
The sale nearly doubled the previous auction record for the highest price paid for a piece of sports memorabilia, a 1952 Topps card of another Yankee legend, Mickey Mantle. raised $12.6 million at a Heritage auction in 2022. Before Sunday, the most expensive sports jersey was the one worn by Michael Jordan in the Chicago Bulls’ first game of the 1998 NBA Finals; It sold for $10.1 million. in 2022.
To authenticate the jersey, several third parties used photo comparisons, using three photos taken before and after the famous World Series game, according to Heritage.
In a 1932 game at Wrigley Field, Ruth is said to have predicted the location of his second and final home run of the game, which the Yankees won 7-5 before going on to win the series against the Cubs. It came after Ruth had two balls and two hits.
With grainy black and white video footage as evidence momentThe batter appears to be pointing out into the outfield, possibly indicating where he is about to hit the ball, just before hitting it far over the center-field fence.
Another story says that Ruth pointed toward the Cubs’ dugout where players were taunting the Yankee, who then decided to respond by scolding him before striking out.
Ruth himself has supported various versions of this event, at one point claiming that he made the decision himself.
What actually happened remains as controversial as it is captured in film and imitated on amateur baseball fields.
“To this day, it remains a mystery,” sports journalist Joe Posnanski told NPR’s Scott Simon last year.“What we know is that the Cubs were really riding Ruth, and he was really, you know, riding them back. And we know he made some very big gestures with his hands. There are people who say he held up his finger just to say just one strike. And there are some people who say he held up two fingers because they say he was saying, ‘Okay, I have two strikes, and let’s see what I do now.’ ”
Fittingly, there was an equally elaborate debate over the shirt’s authenticity, with a third party company decides before the auction that the photo match could not be confirmed.
Heritage athletic director Chris Ivy said after a bidding war for the jersey that lasted more than six hours, the legend surrounding Ruth’s performance that day only further cemented his legendary status in baseball history.
“It is clear that with the strong bidding and record price achieved, there is no doubt among discerning collectors about this Ruth jersey and its significance,” said Ivy. in a statement. “The legend of Babe Ruth and the myth and mystery surrounding his ‘game-winning hit’ are fused into this extraordinary artifact.”
