A Babe Ruth model bat obtained during the early part of his major league career sold for $235,000 to pace bidding in the annual All-Star Auction, held this year in Cleveland.
The 44-ounce war club was originally given to Edward Quinley, a young man who lived with his family in a home directly across the street from Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The boy was a regular at the ballpark and was likely gifted the bat sometime between 1918 and 1922.
Graded PSA/DNA GU 9.5, the bat had been passed down through the Quinley family and had never been offered for sale before.
Photographer Nat Fein’s personal copy of his famous “Babe Bows Out” image sold for $164,500.
Taken June 13, 1948 during Ruth’s last appearance at Yankee Stadium, the 10.25″x12.75″ sepia toned image has been called “the most celebrated photograph in sports history” by The New York Times and LIFE Magazine named it one of the greatest pictures of the 20th century. The price more than doubled the high-end of the $50,000-$75,000 pre-sale estimate.
An early jersey once donned by long-time New York Giants manager John McGraw in the early 1930s also topped the six-figure mark, netting $129,250.
Items from the collection of Hall of Fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez were also offered in the auction with his 1999 American League MVP award topping the rest of the items with a realized price of $38,157.
Other items sold included a 1972 autographed Steve Carlton Philadelphia Phillies uniform ($94,000), a 1948 Bob Lemon Cleveland jersey ($30,550) and a 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates championship ring presented to National League president Chub Feeney ($16,450).
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