Resolution Photo Matching says it has uncovered details that verify the Babe Ruth jersey on display inside Yankee Stadium was worn by the baseball icon during Opening Day 1932 and during Games 1 and 2 of the World Series that year.
Company founder John Robinson says research led to matches with 11 photographs taken during those games, making it what he calls “the most valuable and most significant item in the hobby.”
“We worked on the item over the course of two weeks, researching to find all available images and going through our comparison analysis process to confirm that the matching characteristics are unique to this specific jersey,” Robinson told Sports Collectors Daily on Tuesday.
The jersey, owned by noted collector Dr. Richard Angrist, is part of a special display of game-used Ruth memorabilia inside the stadium’s museum.
“Conclusive photomatches were made based on the alignment of the pinstripes on the front of the jersey with the pinstripes on the back of the jersey, the alignment of the pinstripes on the different pieces of material on the front of the jersey, the alignment of the pinstripes with the custom stitched number on the back of the jersey, and a separation in the pieces of material at the seam on the left shoulder of the jersey,” Robinson stated.
The 1932 World Series was Ruth’s last and the home pinstripe flannel was the only one Ruth wore in a World Series with his signature number “3” on the back. The Yankees began wearing numbers on the backs of their jerseys in 1929, a year following their 1928 triumph but didn’t return to the World Series until ’32.
Ruth homered in that Opening Day game on April 20, 1932—the 615th of his career and his fifth and final career homer during a season opening game at Yankee Stadium.
“These photomatches unquestionably represent the most significant photomatches made to date,” Robinson told Sports Collectors Daily. “To have conclusive photomatches for both two World Series Games and the home Opening Day home run is simply indescribable.”
In June, a 1928-1930 era Ruth jersey netted over $5.6 million through Hunt Auctions, making it the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever sold.
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