The jersey worn by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth when he famously “called his shot” during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series will be auctioned this August, Heritage Auctions announced.
The road gray jersey, making its first public appearance in 19 years, is anticipated to set a new record for sports collectibles, potentially fetching over $30 million.
The auction will take place from August 23-25.
The jersey was last sold in 2005 for $940,000 through Grey Flannel Auctions, identified at that time as belonging to the 1932 season and potentially from that year’s World Series.
Recently, MeiGray Authenticated has photo-matched the jersey to Ruth’s Game 3 performance.
(How it could have been “photo-matched” with absolutely certainty is an interesting question.)
“There were a couple of things that helped [this jersey] stand out from previous seasons,” explained Jim Montague, MeiGray’s vice president of authentication.
“How the Y was positioned on the front of the jersey in relationship to the buttons and the placket on the jersey. Back then, everything was hand-stitched on.
“There are seamstresses putting names and numbers and stitching the collar, stitching of the names in the collar, they’re doing it by hand.
“When you see certain placements, you have [something] unique. They’re not doing it the same two times in a row.”
Ruth’s famous “called shot” happened during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
With the score tied 4-4, Ruth gestured with his bat before hitting a massive home run, estimated between 440 and 490 feet, to center field.
Whether he pointed at pitcher Charlie Root, the Cubs’ dugout, or the outfield remains a subject of historical debate, but the moment has become legendary.
The 1995 Grey Flannel Auctions listing described the jersey: “Every expert is in agreement that this jersey is authentic and 100% original in every respect … Not one of these experts can definitively say that it is not Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series jersey.”
(Interesting word choice, huh?)
Barry Meisel, MeiGray’s president and COO, elaborated on their verification process, noting that the Yankees ordered only a few jerseys each year.
“The Yankees ordered three road grays and three home whites over an entire year and carried one over into the following year,” Meisel said.
“And the nuances Spalding put on its company tag, or in the collar of the shirt, you start to determine, ‘Could this have been worn in 1932? Was it worn in 1935?’ Sometimes we say: ‘This is a Babe Ruth jersey, but you can’t focus on a specific event.’ But we’re confident we’ve proven it’s the real deal.”
Montague noted specific details aligning with photos from Game 3, such as a small notch in the “N” of “NEW YORK” and unique curves in the letters.
Photo-matching has significantly increased the value of sports memorabilia recently.
In April 2023, a Ruth bat sold for $1.85 million, after initially selling for $400,800 in 2018, following photographic verification.
“MeiGray’s philosophy is every game-worn jersey is like a fingerprint,” Meisel said. “No two fingerprints are alike, we believe no two jerseys are alike when you look at the hand-stitching, the placement of names, numbers, letters on the shirt, where and how the buttons are attached.
“When you do forensic research with resources that are necessary, actual photos of the shirt, you can make the determinations that we made in this case with the Babe Ruth Called Shot jersey.”
Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions acknowledged the improbability of the jersey’s survival.
“This Ruth jersey had no intrinsic value at the time; it was just a dirty old baseball shirt when Ruth was wearing it in 1932,” he said. “A lot of this stuff was lost to time. Jerseys were sent down to the minor leagues or worn in practice until they fell apart and then were thrown away.
“The fact that this piece has made it for 90-plus years, and it represents one of the most significant moments of not only Babe Ruth’s career but the history of this sport that’s interwoven with the fabric of America, that’s pretty cool.”
The current record for a sports collectible is the $12.6 million spent on a near-perfect 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card in August 2022.
The record for a piece of sports memorabilia is the $10.1 million spent on a Michael Jordan jersey from the 1998 “Last Dance” NBA Finals.
With a bidding floor of $7.5 million, the Ruth jersey is set to be one of the most expensive sports collectibles ever.
Heritage Auctions plans to display the jersey at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland in late July, with previews in New York City and Palm Beach in early August, among other promotional events.
Ivy emphasized the folklore aspect of vintage collectibles, comparing the debate over Ruth’s “called shot” to other legendary sports stories.
“That’s what takes this jersey to the next level,” Ivy said. “It’s connected to a great moment in American sports history, not to mention a World Series, and it’s one of the most debated topics in the last 100 years.”
There’s a very strong likelihood that the Ruth jersey will set an all-time auction record when it comes to a sports collectable.
For reference, here’s a look at the top 10 sports collectable auction sales in recorded history…
#10. Babe Ruth 1928-1930 Yankees jersey – $5.6 million
#9. Kobe Bryant 2007-2008 Lakers jersey – $5.8 million
#8. Muhammad Ali “Rumble in the Jungle” belt – $6.2 million
#7. 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card – $7.2 million
#6. Honus Wagner T-206 Baseball card – $7.25 million
#5. Lionel Messi set of six 2022 World Cup match-worn shirts – $7.8 million
#4. The Olympic Games Manifesto – $8.8 million
#3. Diego Maradona “Hand of God” jersey – $9.3 million
#2. 1998 Michael Jordan NBA Finals Chicago Bulls jersey – $10.1 million
#1. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card – $12.6 million
What are your thoughts on the Ruth jersey?
Are you 100% convinced that it’s the actual jersey he wore when he famously called his shot (allegedly)?
How much do you think it will end up going for at auction?
What’s YOUR most valuable sports collectable?
To take it a step further, what’s the one sports collectable in the world you wish you owned???