by WorldTribune Staff, August 25, 2024 Contract With Our Readers
The jersey New York Yankees outfielder Babe Ruth was wearing when he “called his shot” in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs has sold for a record $24.12 million.
The jersey sold for $24.12 million with Heritage Auctions, setting an auction record for most expensive sports collectible.
The sale of the New York Yankees road Ruth jersey, which includes the standard 20% buyer’s premium, was available to the public for the first time in 19 years.
The last time the Ruth jersey sold at auction was 2005, when it went for $940,000.
In the 2005 sale, however, the jersey was only linked to the 1932 World Series and not conclusively Game 3 or the “called shot,” when Ruth made a pointing gesture while at bat and then hit a home run into center field off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. Multiple companies in recent years photo-matched the jersey to Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, which significantly increased its value.
Barry Meisel, president and COO of MeiGray Authenticated, one of the companies that photo-matched the jersey, said: “A Babe ‘called shot’ jersey could be, if not be, the most important sports relic in American history, in world history.”
The 1934 series was Ruth’s last and the “called shot” was his last home run in a World Series. The Yankees won Game 3, 7-5, and went on to complete their sweep the Cubs the next day.
“This is essentially the Mona Lisa. It’s s a very mythical moment that crosses over not only in baseball history, but American history, pop culture history,” Heritage Auctions’ director of sports auctions Chris Ivy told ESPN.
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“We’re still talking about it 100 years later, which is one of the reasons why I think it’s the most significant piece of sports memorabilia in the world. When it hits that new record, high tide raises all boats. I think more people are going to be interested in this hobby.”
The previous record price for any sports collectible sold at auction was for a rare mint condition Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million in 2022.
The final price of the Ruth jersey more than doubled the $10.1 million that a Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals sold for at auction, also in 2022.
Other top-selling game-used memorabilia:
• A photo-matched 1952 and 1953 Mickey Mantle World Series jersey sold for $3 million.
• Despite not being photo-matched, a game-worn 1951 Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers jersey, with pants from 1950, sold for $5.52 million.
• A photo-matched 1954 Hank Aaron jersey, worn during his rookie season and possibly his first at-bat, sold for $2.1 million.
• A 1911 “Shoeless” Joe Jackson rookie year bat sold for $2.01 million with buyer’s premium, setting the record paid for a baseball bat.
Babe Ruth’s ‘called shot’ jersey sells at auction for record $24 million added by Editor Two on
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