The jersey Babe Ruth wore when he called his shot during the 1932 World Series, hitting a home run to center field, sold at auction early Sunday for over $24 million.
Heritage Auctions said the New York Yankee slugger含羞草研究社檚 jersey went for a record-breaking $24.12 million after a bidding war that lasted over six hours when it went on the block in Dallas. The buyer wishes to remain anonymous, Heritage said.
The amount that the jersey sold for topped fellow Yankee Mickey Mantle含羞草研究社檚 1952 rookie card, which the Dallas-based auction house sold for $12.6 million in 2022.
Chris Ivy, Heritage含羞草研究社檚 director of sports, calls the jersey 含羞草研究社渢he most significant piece of American sports memorabilia ever offered at auction.含羞草研究社� He said in a news release that it was clear from the bidding that 含羞草研究社漚stute collectors have no doubt as to what this Ruth jersey is and what it represents.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭he legend of Babe Ruth and the myth and mystery surrounding his 含羞草研究社榗alled shot含羞草研究社� are united in this one extraordinary artifact,含羞草研究社� Ivy said.
Ruth含羞草研究社檚 famed, debated and often imitated 含羞草研究社渃alled shot含羞草研究社� came as the Yankees and Chicago Cubs faced off in Game 3 of the World Series at Chicago含羞草研究社檚 Wrigley Field on Oct. 1, 1932. In the fifth inning of the heated game, Ruth made a pointing gesture while at bat and then hit the home run off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.
含羞草研究社淚t is the most dramatic moment in World Series history, and it may be the most dramatic moment ever in all of baseball,含羞草研究社� said Michael Gibbons, director emeritus and historian at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore.
The Yankees won the game 7-5 and swept the Cubs the next day to win the series.
That was Ruth含羞草研究社檚 last World Series, and the 含羞草研究社渃alled shot含羞草研究社� was his last home run in a World Series, said Mike Provenzale, the production manager for Heritage含羞草研究社檚 sports department.
含羞草研究社淲hen you can tie an item like that to an important figure and their most important moment, that含羞草研究社檚 what collectors are really looking for,含羞草研究社� Provenzale said.
Heritage said Ruth gave the road jersey to one of his golfing buddies in Florida around 1940 and it remained in that family for decades. Then, in the early 1990s, that man含羞草研究社檚 daughter sold it to a collector. It was then sold at auction in 2005 for $940,000 and remained in a private collection until being consigned to Heritage this year.
There含羞草研究社檚 been debate for decades over whether Ruth really called the shot. But Gibbons said there含羞草研究社檚 home movie footage of the game that shows Ruth pointing, though it含羞草研究社檚 not clear whether he含羞草研究社檚 pointing at the pitcher, center field or toward the Cubs bench. Regardless, he said, Ruth, who had a history of making predictions, clearly 含羞草研究社渟aid something含羞草研究社檚 going to happen on the next pitch and he made it happen.含羞草研究社� And, he said, Ruth himself said he含羞草研究社檇 called the shot.
含羞草研究社淲e think certainly that he did call his shot,含羞草研究社� Gibbons said.
News reel footage shows Ruth rounding the bases after the home run and making a pushing out gesture toward the Cubs bench, as if to say 含羞草研究社淚 gotcha,含羞草研究社� Gibbons said.
The 含羞草研究社渃alled shot,含羞草研究社� was an extraordinary moment from a man Gibbons called 含羞草研究社渢he standard-bearer for all of Major League Baseball.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e was always uplifting, he was something very positive for this country to root for,含羞草研究社� Gibbons said. 含羞草研究社淭hen he caps it all off by calling his shot.含羞草研究社�
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Associated Press video journalist Kendria LaFleur contributed to this report.
Jamie Stengle, The Associated Press
