A historic jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth during one of the sport’s most famous moments has just set a new record, selling for $24.12 million at auction, making it the world’s most valuable sports collectible.
Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas, announced that the jersey fetched the staggering amount after a six-hour bidding war on Sunday. The previous record for a sports collectible was held by a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card, which sold for $12.6 million in August 2022.
The jersey, famously worn by Ruth during the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs, is tied to the baseball icon's legendary "Called Shot." In the fifth inning, Ruth seemingly pointed toward center field before hitting a home run into the bleachers. Though debated for decades, the gesture has become one of the most celebrated and mysterious moments in baseball history.
“The ‘Called Shot’ is still talked about nearly 100 years later,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage, in a call with CNN before the sale. “We’re discussing it because of the controversy and the mystery surrounding whether Ruth actually called his shot.”
Though some grainy footage from the stands shows Ruth pointing, where he was directing his gesture—whether at the Cubs’ pitcher or something in the field—remains a topic of debate. Baseball wasn’t televised until 1939, leaving journalists as the first to report what had transpired. Sports editor Joe Williams is credited with coining the term "Called Shot," and Ruth himself embraced the story.
The auction, held over the weekend, featured several other notable items, including Michael Jordan’s "Last Dance" Chicago Bulls jersey and a signed, game-used bat by baseball great Jackie Robinson. Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey sold for $10.1 million in 2022, making it the most expensive basketball jersey ever auctioned.
Ruth’s jersey from the 1932 World Series, where he played his last championship game, had opening bids surpassing $14 million days before the auction began. Experts initially estimated the jersey could sell for as much as $30 million.
Heritage Auctions authenticated the Yankees’ road gray No. 3 jersey twice, photo-matching it to three images, including one from Getty Images and another from The Chicago Daily News, where Ruth is seen in the dugout with teammate Lou Gehrig and manager Joe McCarthy.
Ivy described the jersey as “the most significant piece of American sports memorabilia ever offered at auction.”
Ruth, whose baseball career spanned 22 seasons, is remembered for his 714 home runs and seven World Series titles. Though best known for his time with the New York Yankees, Ruth also won three World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox. He was one of the first five players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
This latest auction dwarfs previous sales of Ruth memorabilia. In 2019, a jersey worn by the baseball legend from 1928-1930 sold for $5.64 million, setting the record at the time. That sale broke a previous record held by another Ruth jersey, which fetched $4.4 million.
