| GEORGE HERMAN "BABE" RUTH (1895 - 1948) was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936. The Baseball Hall of Fame website reads: "George Herman "Babe" Ruth was an American original, baseball's first great slugger and the most celebrated athlete of his time. The southpaw hurler debuted with the Red Sox, winning 89 games in six years while setting the World Series record for consecutive scoreless innings. "The Sultan of Swat" converted to the outfield full-time after his sale to the Yankees in 1920 and led New York to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles. He finished with 714 home runs, leading the league 12 times, including a remarkable 60 round-trippers in 1927." This singularly unique artifact is Ruth's personally approved statement to the press regarding his disappointing revelation that his dreams of managing the Yankees would go unfulfilled, and his intention to abandon the Bronx as a result. The statement was dictated to a reporter during the sixth game of the World Series in Detroit (as a handwritten notation dated Oct. 8, 1934 at upper right in reporter's hand notes), and signed at the close by Ruth in 9/10 pencil. Ruth's autograph has been "lined-through," a standard policy when news stories were transmitted by telegraph, as this one was. The text, in its entirety, follows:
Babe Ruth Statement (typed by the reporter's hand)
"To avoid any misunderstanding here's what happened. Before leaving New York, I had a meeting with Col. Ruppert and asked, 'Colonel, are you satisfied with McCarthy for next year?'
The Colonel replied that he was and I said, 'That suits me-that's all I wanted to know.'
I did not say that 'It is a case of McCarthy or me.'
This much is certain-I want to remain in base ball but I will not sign a players contract next year with any club.
In view of Col Ruppert's decision I will now make my personal and business plans accordingly.
(Signed) Babe Ruth."
The Babe's official announcement to the world that he would no longer represent the Yankees rates as one of the most important sports documents to reach the auction block. The 4.5" x 8.5" page is affixed to a scrapbook page above a clipped newspaper article the statement spawned. Text at lower right, in the hand of the reporter, explains that the signed Ruth statement resulted from the Babe's desire to refute an earlier printed article that "...quoted Babe as saying to Ruppert 'It's either McCarthy or me.'..." The entirety of the scrapbook page measures 9.5x13". Mild toning and a single vertical fold to the Ruth statement page well clear of the Babe's autograph are the only condition issues worth noting. LOA from PSA/DNA is included. (Description courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries) |
