Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey was sold at auction on Sunday for $4.4 milllion, so has set new world record for a piece of sports memorabilia. It is two and a half times more than his house in Boston is offered for sale. To remind, Babe Ruth’s suburban Boston house, also known as Home Plate Farm in Sudbury, Mass. has been listed by Coldwell Banker for $1.65 million.
The circa 1920 jersey was sold to an undisclosed buyer for $4,415,658 at the SCP Auctions of California, which breaks the previous record from 2010, when the original rules of basketball, written by the sport’s inventor Dr. James Naismith was sold for $4,338,500.
Babe Ruth Jersey Set 1920
“We are honored to, once again, be a part of history,” David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions, said in a statement. “This proves again that Babe Ruth is king in the sports memorabilia world.”
The blue-grey Spalding-made wool jersey bears the handwritten script “Ruth G.H.” in a fading pink on the inside collar. The block “NEW YORK” lettering is stitched across the front in blue. Ruth wore the jersey shortly after joining the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox in 1920, and it marks one of the more pivotal moments in baseball history.
The jersey had been on display for five years in the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum in Baltimore. It was bought by Lelands.com, a New York auctioneer of memorabilia from sports, rock ‘n’ roll, American collectibles and vintage photography.
“We are ecstatic about the purchase of his earliest known Yankees jersey,” Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com, said in a statement. “It’s like buying a priceless painting, the pinnacle of sports memorabilia.”
He also explains why the company decided to sell the jersey privately rather than re-auction it: “Such a spectacular piece will find a home with one of our private clients who truly appreciates its historic significance.”
Two more records were smashed on Sunday. The Super Bowl XXV ring belonging to former New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor sold for $230,401, and a Yankees cap from the 1930s, also worn by Ruth and owned by former Yankees pitcher David Wells was sold for $537,278, according to the site. Both were new records for the highest price paid for a sports ring and a sports cap, according to the Los Angeles Times.
$4.4 Million Babe Ruth Jersey Set a Record at Auction
Babe Ruth at Spring Training, March 1920
