This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/12/2017
Without question, Babe Ruth was the modern sporting world’s first “superstar.” He remains on the wish lists of many collectors. His signature is a classic example of “supply and demand” with the latter overwhelmingly outnumbering the former.
If there was one thing that Ruth loved more than baseball, it was the fans — especially children. An overgrown man-child himself, the Babe never wanted to disappoint a young admirer. Enter one young man named Skippy Dalley. Our research has shown that young Master Dalley was recovering in the hospital from a tonsillectomy in 1933 when Ruth visited. To lift the boy’s spirits, Ruth took the Wilson Boys Amateur No. W163 baseball now offered here and in a clear, bold hand carefully wrote, “To Skippy Dalley From Babe Ruth.” His immediately recognizable scripting is careful placed (in true Ruthian fashion), beginning on a side panel and then extending onto the sweet spot. The piece will undoubtedly become the cornerstone of any collection. The signature is authenticated by PSA/DNA, JSA and MG and is accompanied by a Letters of Authenticity from all three.
Following the 1919 “Black Sox” scandal, it was Ruth who single-handedly restored greatness to the National Pastime. Throughout the 1920s, his powerful swing led to never-before-seen home run totals that drew fans to the ballpark over 22 seasons. Among his amazing stats: 59 home runs in 1921 and a record-setting 60 in 1927 en route to 714 total dingers. The Bambino remained productive at the plate into the 1930s, and in 1933 (the same year he signed this sphere) hit the first home run in All-Star Game history. By 1934, his appetite for entertainment, food, and drink were impacting his appetite for home runs. He managed only 22 that season and six more in what would be his last Big League campaign in 1935. Today, decades after he last stood on a baseball diamond and nearly 70 years after his 1948 death, he remains the ultimate example of baseball royalty.