1932 Babe Ruth jersey breaks all-time auction record, fetches $24.12M

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In an extraordinary development, the legacy of Babe Ruth continues to captivate the sports world in 2024. A historic auction has shattered records, with Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series road jersey selling for an unprecedented $24.12 million at Heritage Auctions, making it the most expensive sports collectible ever sold.

This sale eclipses the previous record, a 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card graded 9.5 by SGC, which fetched $12.6 million in August 2022. It also surpasses the $10.1 million paid for Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, sold just a month after the Mantle card.

The journey of Babe Ruth’s jersey is as intriguing as its final price. Reportedly, the Yankees legend gifted the jersey to a golfing companion in Florida around 1940. The recipient’s daughter later sold it to a collector in the early 1990s. In 2005, the Babe Ruth jersey was auctioned for $940,000, then known only to be connected with the 1932 World Series. Recent photo-matching technology has since confirmed its use in Game 3 of that series.

This game holds a special place in baseball folklore, linked to Babe Ruth’s infamous “called shot.” While debate endures over whether the Great Bambino truly predicted his home run by pointing towards the outfield at Wrigley Field on October 1, 1932, many believe it was a bold proclamation. Babe Ruth’s second homer of the game contributed to the Yankees’ 7-5 win, leading to their sweep of the Cubs the next day.

The significance of this game goes beyond Babe Ruth’s performance. It marked his final postseason home run and his last World Series appearance, solidifying its place in baseball history. Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions, likened the jersey’s cultural impact to that of the Mona Lisa, highlighting its enduring appeal and its status as perhaps the most iconic piece of sports memorabilia in existence.

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