Timeless Baseball Artifact Sold for $24M

In 1932, the New York Yankees made their way to Wrigley Field for Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, and they walked out of that game as champions. A major contender for the Yankees was none other than legendary ballplayer, Babe Ruth.

The lore that surrounds this particular game remains an awe-inspiring tale for lovers of baseball, as it is told that Ruth himself called his next move into existence. After much heckling from Chicago fans and players, Ruth decided to end the talk. He pointed to Cubs pitcher, Charlie Root, and slammed the homer that placed the Yankees ahead of the Cubs in order to claim the title.

Whether or not fans of baseball believe that a man could call the next play with such grace and certainty, Ruth went down in history that day as one of the greatest baseball players to ever play. Today, his legacy remains, and the jersey he wore during that momentous game was auctioned off for the price of $24M.

According to ESPN, Ruth's jersey sold for exactly $24.12 million by Heritage Auctions, to become the most expensive sports relic to be sold to the public to date. The buyer is not public, but their bid definitely made history. Compared to recent relics, this one was verified to not only be linked to Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, but was verified as the exact jersey worn when Ruth called the homer to end the game.

Barry Meisel, president and COO of MeiGray Authenticated made a comment about the jersey, detailing its value and importance to the game: "A Babe 'called shot' jersey could be, if not be, the most important sports relic in American history, in world history."

This history remains alive and well with this purchase, and sports fans can rest assured knowing that the buyer knows the true value of the jersey.

As a true lover of the game, Babe Ruth stood as more than a player to fans of his time and fans now. He was renowned as a philanthropist in his own ways, a movie star, and a showman that knew the impact he had on society through baseball. Ruth's legacy was more than the statistics behind his name, and this auction further proved that society truly values Ruth for all that he did for the game of baseball.