Original Ruth Bat Hits Auction

Babe Ruth-signed baseballs, while treasured, are not that uncommon.  Ruth happily autographed thousands of them while he played and in the few years after he retired.  Some surely ended up being used in sandlot games, being thrown out by overzealous mothers or meeting some other calamity, but many have survived.

But a bat inked by the the Yankees‘ own Sultan of Swat?  Now that’s a rare find.

Especially one in the condition of the piece of lumber that just went up on the Steiner Sports site.

This one is in pristine condition; The Babe’s distinctive signature is clear and smooth and in a perfect spot, between the trademark and branded autograph.  And it’s not a game-used bat, but a promotional model, which was even rarer for the time of the signing, which Steiner and James Spence Authentication estimate to be around 1933.  It’s estimated that around 15 exist.

The current bid is around $17,000, which hasn’t met the “reserve,” and I suspect this is nowhere near that figure.

Part of the Ruth legend is that he is of a time when a celebrity’s every move wasn’t scrutinized 24-7 by a zealous press corp and millions of “citizen journalists.”  Adding to the folklore — and obfuscation  — are the three ridiculous biopic movies made about him. (n.b., post on fun/unheralded/goofy baseball movies coming soon).

That, and the fact that he has been dead for more than 60 years, well before the memorabilia craze got going, puts Ruth items at the top of collectors’ wish lists.  There were no marathon bat-signing sessions like Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio had in the 80s and 90s, and no one like Steiner Sports or other groups to capture and monetize the authenticated memorabilia market.

That market has certainly been captured and monetized today, and though the Ruth bat is at least three zeroes out of my price range, it’s fun to see a piece of history on display.