If your mind’s image of Babe Ruth is that of a hefty slugger who waddled around the bases, take a peek at some of the photos taken prior to the latter portion of his career. A dual threat from the batter’s box and the mound, The Babe was slim, trim and few questioned his athleticism.
One of the earliest images of Ruth during his first season with the New York Yankees is now on the auction block where it’s expected to fetch a big price.
The RMY Auctions Photo of the Day shows a serious side of the young slugger during a year in which he destroyed his own single-season home run record set the year earlier in Boston and began the journey as the greatest Yankee of all-time.
The silver gelatin original news photo is dated June 20, 1920 on the back. It was during that time that Ruth began breaking monthly records for home runs, belting 11 in May and 13 in June.
Measuring 6 ½ x 8 ½, the photo carries a Type 1 designation from PSA. It has some wear and a few pinholes but the image of Ruth himself is unaffected.
It’s one of the top items in an auction of over 1,000 photos in RMY Auctions’ July online catalog. Bidding will continue through July 14.
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