He did it 19 other times during his major league career, but none of those were as famous as the time Jackie Robinson stole home in the 1955 World Series.
Now, an original photo from the New York Daily News archives capturing that moment from a slightly different time and angle than you might have seen before is up for auction.
RMY Auctions is offering the 8×10 image—with the original newspaper file clippings still attached to the back—in its Winter Premier Auction. The 8×10 photo taken by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Frank Hurley remains well preserved and is being offered for the first time.
The photo captures the exact moment when Yankees catcher Yogi Berra turned back for the home plate umpire’s decision. The “safe” call by Bill Summers was hotly contested by Berra, who maintained throughout his life that the call was incorrect, even autographing other photos of the play “he was out!” Paused video frames, however, would later appear to support the umpire’s decision.
The battle between Robinson’s Dodgers and the crosstown New York Yankees would be an epic struggle and result in Brooklyn’s only World Series title. Despite the daring eighth inning steal by Berra that cut the Yankees’ lead to one run, New York held on to win Game 1, 6-5.
While Robinson was known for stealing home when the opportunity arose, he’d only recorded 12 stolen bases during the 1955 regular season.
The photo is one of over 1,300 images in the auction, which runs through March 6.
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