Babe Ruth Auction Could Set Records
A jersey once worn by Babe Ruth, the most admired baseball figure in history, is going up for auction and is expected to bring in millions.
A 1920 Yankee jersey, once worn by Babe Ruth is going up for sale in April and is expected to fetch at least $1 million, auctioneers said Monday.
This particular jersey is the oldest known existing uniform worn by the Bambino. Given the rarity it could challenge the auction record for baseball memorabilia, set by a Honus Wagner trading card that went for $2.8 million in 2007.
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David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, said "this is simply the finest sports artifact we've handled in our 30-year history."
He continued: "The historical impact of Ruth's emergence in the Big Apple in the early 1920s, combined with the jersey's superb original condition, makes this a sports treasure of the highest order."
Auctioneers declined to name the jersey's current owner, at the private collector's request. This Yankee road uniform dates to Ruth's first season in New York.
Ruth became the first person in baseball history to hit more than 50 home runs in 1920.
Sports memorabilia auctions can bring in big money, especially when they involve Babe Ruth. The bat Ruth used to hit a homer during the first game at Yankee stadium in 1923 sold for $1.3 million in 2006 and in 2005.
His original contract with the New York Yankees was sold for close to $1 million and Babe Ruth's jersey is expected to be the most expensive piece of baseball memorabilia ever sold at auction.
SCP Auctions Managing Director Dan Imler said: "Ruth was a man of mythic proportions. More than any other man, he transcended sports, achieving a nearly unrivaled status as an American icon."
He continued to state that the jersey could be "one of the finest sports artifacts we'll see in our lifetime."
The online auction begins on April 30 and wraps up on May 19.
