High-priced sports garment sells for an astounding $24.1 million.
Back in the 1930s, Babe Ruth was the epitome of baseball stardom, and now, one of his jerseys has broken records by selling for an astonishing $24.1 million. The head of the auction house saw this jersey as the sports world's equivalent of the Mona Lisa.
Babe Ruth's jersey recently sold for a record-breaking price of $24.1 million during an online auction, according to Heritage Auctions. This piece of Yankees memorabilia now holds the title for the most expensive sports memorabilia item in history. The previous record was set in 2022, when a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for an impressive $12.6 million.
Ruth wore this jersey in a legendary 1932 World Series game against the Chicago Cubs. An urban legend suggests that before hitting a home run, Ruth gestured towards the location he intended to send the ball. This iconic moment is known as the "called shot." The year of 1932 marked Ruth's triumph in his last of seven World Series titles within Major League Baseball (MLB).
Chris Ivy, the head of sports auctions at Heritage, predicted that the jersey could sell for up to $30 million back in May. Ivy explained his belief to ESPN, stating, "This is essentially the Mona Lisa... It's a very mythical moment that transcends not just baseball history, but American history and pop culture. We'll still be talking about this a century from now, and that's one of the reasons I believe it's the most significant piece of sports memorabilia in the world."
The value of the jersey soared
After retiring, Ruth presented the jersey as a gift to a golfing buddy. It exchanged hands three more times before being auctioned off on Sunday, the most recent sale occurring in 2005 for $940,000. At that time, the jersey was solely associated with the 1932 World Series game, but not directly with the famous bat-pointing incident where Ruth signaled his hit against the Chicago Cubs' Charlie Root. Since then, multiple companies have compared this jersey to the one Ruth wore during the third game of the series at Wrigley Field, significantly boosting its value.
Considered one of the greatest baseball players ever, Babe Ruth carried three World Series titles home with the Boston Red Sox before joining the New York Yankees in 1919. With this new team, Ruth earned four more World Series championships. Ruth retired from baseball in 1935 and passed away in 1948, at the age of 53.
In 2022, a sports item broke the $10 million mark for the first time during an auction. Both the Mantle card and Michael Jordan's jersey (selling for $10.1 million) reached such afty prices.
The record-breaking sale of Babe Ruth's jersey in 2022 surpassed the previous $10 million mark set by a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card and Michael Jordan's jersey. Due to its significant historical and cultural value, the jersey now holds the title as the most expensive sports memorabilia item in history.
