SCP Auctions, a leader in auctions and private sales of important sports memorabilia and cards, has purchased a full Babe Ruth 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers road uniform for $310,500, at auction at the Louisville Slugger Museum, it was announced today. SCP buys uniform on behalf of client for $310,500; Ruth wore the uniform as a first-base coach with the Dodgers in 1938, his final season in professional baseball.
The uniform, the last professional uniform worn by the Great Bambino, was purchased on behalf of an SCP client who is an avid collector of Babe Ruth memorabilia. Ruth, the Yankees great, Hall of Famer and long-time holder of baseball`s career and single-season home run records, was a first-base coach with the Dodgers during the 1938 season, his final season in baseball. He also regularly took batting practice with the team to appease fans who wanted another glimpse at the great slugger.
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`This is a monumental piece of baseball memorabilia, and we are proud to have been a part of the purchase on behalf of our client,` said David Kohler, president of SCP Auctions. `Considering Ruth`s stature not only in baseball but in American pop culture, and the fact that this is the last uniform he ever wore, this really is a rare and prized piece.`
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Ruth`s last major-league road uniform consists of his heavy grey flannel Spalding jersey and matching pants, both of which feature Ruth`s full name in chain stitch near the manufacturer`s tagging. The shirt retains its blue Dodgers team name across the front, and Ruth`s uniform number 35 on the back. A small `38` year designation is chain stitched on the back of the interior tail, which also retains custom lacing, which allowed Ruth to keep his shirt neatly tucked into his pants.
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The left sleeve retains its original 1939 World`s Fair patch. The jersey remains in completely original condition, exhibiting light to moderate use and wash wear appropriate for Ruth`s position as first-base coach. The uniform numbers as one of only a handful of surviving exemplars, all of which rank at the pinnacle of the most elite historical baseball collections.
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SCP Auctions has a long history of involvement with some of the most notable pieces of baseball memorabilia, especially where Ruth is concerned. The company sold the bat Ruth used to hit the first home run in the old Yankee Stadium, for $1.265 million. It also sold the contract for the 1919 sale of Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the Yankees, for $996,000.
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For more information in SCP Auctions, go to www.SCPAuctions.com.
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About SCP Auctions
SCP Auctions, Inc. has been a leader in auctions and private sales of important sports memorabilia and cards since 1979. The Southern California-based firm conducts regular auctions in partnership with Sotheby`s. The Sotheby`s/SCP Auctions partnership has handled some of the most significant individual items and prominent collections in their field, such as the record-setting sale of Babe Ruth`s bat used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium (sold for $1.265 million), The original 1919 Contract of Sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees (sold for $996,000), and the private collections of Hall of Famers such as Honus Wagner, Tony Lazzeri, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Casey Stengel, Pee Wee Reese, and Ernie Banks. For more information, please visit www.scpauctions.com.
