Four incredibly rare pieces of Babe Ruth memorabilia—sourced directly from the Bambino’s family—are currently up for auction through SCP Auctions. (SCP’s pre-auction estimate for the collection is in excess of $350,000.) Dan Imler, vice president of SCP Auctions, said it is “a rare privilege … to offer items with direct provenance to Babe Ruth,” adding that the auction house is “honored to present some highly coveted items from the Babe’s personal collection that have never before been presented publicly at auction.”
One of the most immediately recognizable items in the auction is the custom-made “New York” flannel uniform that Ruth wore to promote the 1939-40 New York City World’s Fair. Manufactured by A.G. Spalding & Bros., the uniform has a special “1939” patch, as well as “Trylon” and “Perisphere” patches on both sleeves (these were two structural exhibits at the fair’s “Theme Center”). It was worn by Ruth at a variety of promotional events, including business meetings and special batting clinics.
The second item is a hand-crafted wooden chest made by Sing Sing Prison inmates after their team, the Black Sheep, played the Yankees in an exhibition game. Ruth hit three home runs during that game, and was so popular with the inmates that they made him a baseball-themed wooden chest as a token of their respect. The chest measures 37 inches long by 19 inches wide, with a pair of inlaid baseball diamonds on its surface.
The third item is a hand-carved, wooden folk art statue of Ruth, made in 1933. It stands at just under two feet tall and features a pair of Ruth hand-carved portraits, four small baseball bats, and two baseballs.
The final item is a personal Babe Ruth scrapbook put together by sports agent Christy Walsh in the early 1920s. The scrapbook includes original newspaper coverage of Ruth’s impact on the 1922 New York Yankees season.
Bidding is open to registered SCP bidders only, and concludes on January 21.
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