Auction Item Details
Lot 133
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Lot Number: 133
Description: Babe Ruth autographed baseball with photographic provenance attributed to June 8, 1930 "$80,000 Why Not? I had a Better Year" Yankees contract.. Lightly toned and clear coated "Boys Practice" full size un-official baseball signed across the sweet spot by Babe Ruth in blue fountain pen. Signature presents well and ranges from 4-7 out of 10 The ball also is noted as having been signed by several other Yankees players including Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri. The additional signatures are generally very faint ranging from 1-3 out of 10. Accompanying the baseball are two 1980s era photographs after original images from June 8, 1930 picturing Babe Ruth stepping off of a bus in uniform and subsequently in street clothes signing the offered baseball for a young girl. The girl can be seen in both images with the back of the images inscribed by her sister in 1987 detailing the date of the signing as being June 8, 1930. On that very date, Ruth famously signed a two year contract for a record $160,000 and when asked about him being paid more than President Hoover he remarked, "Why Not? I had a Better Year." The street clothes image matches the period video of Ruth wearing the identical garb and shoes when signing the agreement with Co. Jacob Ruppert. Includes full LOA from JSA and two 1980s provenance images signed on the back by the sister of the original recipient.: Ball: EX, Ruth signature: VG/EX-EXEstimated Price Range: ($5,000-$10,000)
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