This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/1/2022
Issued in 1921 by the American Caramel Company as part of a series of 80, the offered card depicts arguably the greatest player in the history of baseball, but the timing of the issue and the story behind the early career of George Herman Ruth is quite intriguing. It is well known that Ruth came up from the International League to the Boston Red Sox in 1914 as a pitcher, and he was a very effective one at that! Over the next five seasons, he would amass a record of 89-46 with a 2.19 ERA, but he was also showing promise at the plate, belting 49 home runs and compiling a batting average of .308. However, on January 5, 1920, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold him to the New York Yankees for $125,000, purportedly to fund a Broadway play. And the rest, as they say, is history. Ruth immediately tore up the league at the dish, blasting 59 home runs with a .376 batting average in 1920, and at the time of this card's issue the following year, he was well established as a Yankee. But looking closely at this card, he's still in a Red Sox uniform and in a pitching pose. Strange that there were no available images of him in a Yankees shirt. But perhaps the most important aspect of the card is the position it lists him at: right field. The transition from the mound to the plate was complete, and the game was forever changed. Now looking at the condition of the offered card, it is obvious that it has seen its share of love over the last decade, but what's important is that it's Babe Ruth in one of the earliest issues as a New York Yankee, and while there are no less than three variations of the card within the set, this one has no quotes around the name "Babe" and as previously mentioned, lists him as a right fielder. The card was submitted to SGC for grading, but they felt that the encapsulation process could further damage it, so they sent it back to us with their assurance that it is indeed authentic but too fragile to be placed in a holder. Bottom line is this is a very important early baseball card from a scarce issue, and despite condition, is well deserving of a place in any world-class collection!