Love of the Game Auctions Fall, 2023 Premier Auction

11. Babe Ruth (HOF) Signed and Inscribed Baseball (PSA/DNA)

Clean, unblemished Reach Official American League baseball signed boldly in fountain pen by Babe Ruth. The signature and inscription boldly grace the west panel of the baseball, a light but even fade evident but still entirely legible and dark enough for a quality display. The most valuable and highly desired signature in the hobby today, Babe Ruth single-signed baseballs continue to skyrocket in value. Ruth frequently signed and personalized baseballs on the west panel, often resulting in an interesting sleuthing project (not long ago we traced the provenance of a similarly-inscribed baseball to the exact date and family from which it originated through some newspaper research). In this case, the baseball has been inscribed to “Chap Foote,” who may have been Chappelle Foote of California, a salesman and competitive amateur golfer who participated in many tournaments in Northern California and Nevada as early as the mid 1940s. The baseball itself is exceptionally bright, with Ruth’s famous signature applied in blue, creating strong contrast between the two. A well-preserved example of one of the hobby’s most sought-after artifacts: a single-signed baseball carrying the autograph of the great Babe Ruth. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. MINIMUM BID: $2,000

12. Multi-Signed 1924 Babe Ruth (HOF), Jacob Ruppert, & Ed Barrow Framed Payroll Check (Ex-Halper) - JSA

By 1922, Babe Ruth was well-established as the game’s greatest player, and with a salary of $52,000 per year, was also its highest paid. That year, Ruth signed a three-year contract with the Yankees, the ballclub subsequently exercising a two-year option that kept the Babe locked in through the 1926 season, a bargain despite Ruth remaining the game’s highest-paid player during the entire duration of the contract. Presented here is a Payroll check from late in the 1924 season, for $4,649.05 (representing Ruth’s monthly salary of $4,707.70, less $58.65 in expenses). The check has been signed on the front by Yankees secretary and Hall of Famer Ed Barrow, along with owner Jacob Rupert. Ruth endorsed the reverse “Geo. H. Ruth,” in pencil. The endorsement is obscured somewhat by the cancellation stamps, but remains legible. The entire check remains clean and well-preserved, housed inside a small frame with a glass back permitting visibility of both sides of the check. The Barry Harper Auction decal remains affixed to the lower-right corner of the reverse, lending a bit of hobby history to the piece. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. MINIMUM BID: $750

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