Babe Ruth’s Legendary “Called Shot” Jersey Shatters Auction Records with a $24.12 Million Sale
In an extraordinary event that has electrified the world of sports memorabilia, the jersey worn by Babe Ruth during his fabled called shot in the 1932 World Series has sold at auction for an astonishing $24.12 million.
This sale not only sets a new record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold but also reinforces Ruth’s legendary status as an icon of American sports and culture.
To put this jaw-dropping figure into perspective, the previous record for any sports collectible was $12.6 million, paid in 2022 for a 1952 Topps baseball card featuring Mickey Mantle, another Yankees legend.
The Ruth jersey also demolished the record for a game-worn jersey, which was set at $10.1 million by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls shirt from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
This monumental sale eclipses the jersey’s own history as well. The last time Ruth’s jersey was auctioned in 2005, it fetched $940,000—an impressive sum at the time, but nowhere near the current valuation. The jersey’s skyrocketing worth can be attributed to recent photo-matching technology, which confirmed that Ruth wore it during his “called shot”—a fact that was not conclusively established in previous auctions.
The “called shot” is one of the most iconic moments in baseball history, a tale that has transcended the sport itself to become a part of American folklore. During Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, Ruth, playing for the New York Yankees, famously pointed towards center field before launching a home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Charlie Root.
The Yankees won the game 7-5, and Ruth’s home run would be his last in a World Series, marking the end of an era for the baseball titan.
Ruth’s career is the stuff of legends. Over the course of his illustrious career, he won the World Series seven times, hit 714 home runs, and held numerous records that stood for decades.
His trade from the Boston Red Sox to the Yankees in 1920 is often cited as the beginning of the Curse of the Bambino, a superstition that plagued the Red Sox for 86 years until they finally broke the curse by winning the World Series in 2004.
The auction, managed by Heritage Auctions, drew intense interest from high-profile bidders, including wealthy collectors, sports enthusiasts, and even team owners.
According to Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions’ director of sports auctions, the Ruth jersey represents more than just a piece of baseball history; it is a cultural artifact that resonates far beyond the sport. Ivy had anticipated the jersey could fetch upwards of $30 million, and while it fell just short of that, the final price still set a new high-water mark in the world of sports collectibles.
The auction’s result underscores the growing market for rare sports memorabilia. In fact, the same auction saw other significant sales, such as a 1952-53 Mickey Mantle World Series jersey for $3 million, a game-worn Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers jersey for $5.52 million, and a 1911 “Shoeless” Joe Jackson rookie bat for $2.01 million.
But what makes Ruth’s jersey so special? It’s not just about the fabric or the game itself; it’s about what the jersey symbolizes. Ruth’s “called shot” is often regarded as a defining moment in baseball and American history.
The buyer of the jersey remains anonymous, but the impact of this sale is clear. It highlights the enduring value of sports memorabilia as more than just collectibles; they are historical treasures, conversation starters, and investments that appeal to a broad spectrum of collectors.
As Ivy mentioned, owning such an artifact is akin to possessing a piece of cultural history—a relic that will be discussed and admired for decades, if not centuries, to come.
Babe Ruth’s impact on baseball and American culture is immeasurable, and this record-breaking sale only further solidifies his place in history. From his early days with the Red Sox to his dominance with the Yankees, Ruth’s career is a testament to the enduring allure of baseball’s golden age.