A jersey worn by Babe Ruth during his famous ‘called shot’ home run in the 1932 World Series has sold at auction for a record-breaking $24.12 million. The bidding war lasted over six hours during the auction held in Dallas, with the buyer opting to remain anonymous. This sale surpasses the previous record set by Mickey Mantle’s 1952 rookie card, which sold for $12.6 million in 2022.
The director of sports at Heritage Auctions, Chris Ivy, described the jersey as the most significant piece of American sports memorabilia ever offered at auction. The ‘called shot’ moment occurred during Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs when Ruth made a pointing gesture and then hit a home run off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. This iconic moment is considered one of the most dramatic in baseball history.
Despite debate surrounding whether Ruth actually called his shot, footage from the game shows him pointing before hitting the home run. The jersey was originally given to one of Ruth’s golfing buddies in Florida around 1940 and remained in that family for decades. It was later sold to a collector in the 1990s and then auctioned in 2005 for $940,000 before being consigned to Heritage Auctions this year.
Michael Gibbons, director emeritus and historian at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, believes Ruth did call his shot and describes him as the standard-bearer for Major League Baseball. The sale of this jersey represents a significant moment in sports memorabilia history and serves as a reminder of Ruth’s lasting impact on the sport.
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