When one thinks of Babe Ruth, the image of a well-used Louisville Slugger bat comes to mind almost immediately. From 1914 to 1935, Ruth used this simple, yet perfectly engineered, implement to set and break home run and slugging records at will. There’s an often-quoted fact about the Babe that through repeated use has lost its profoundness over time, but it bears a retelling: after Ruth hit his 139th career homer on July 18, 1921, every home run he hit afterwards was the new record. Think of that – Babe Ruth broke his own record 575 more times before he retired in 1935. There has never been a player whose talent was as far above his contemporaries as Babe Ruth. This exquisite bat embodies that era when Ruth was shattering records with almost every swing. The game used bat experts at MEARS have determined that his Babe Ruth gamer dates to the 1921 to 1931 period. During that period, the Babe hit an astounding 508 home runs and achieved countless other accolades. These were the years that solidified the Babe’s reputation as the greatest player who had ever swung a bat - all before the famous “called shot” of the 1932 World Series.
The bat presented here is a Hillerich & Bradsby Babe Ruth Professional Model Bat. The bat measures 34 inches in length, one inch shorter than other examples which have entered the hobby. However, Ruth himself stated he on occasion ordered bats shorter than 35". The bat weighs in at a Ruthian 39 ounces, which is consistent with Ruth's personal bat records for requested weight during this era. It is on the heavier side of the spectrum of bats ordered by Ruth and the heavier size is much desired among collectors. The stamping of “125” in the center brand indicates the bat was produced specifically for the player’s professional use – store model bats available to the public were stamped with a “40” and the player’s initials, for example “40BR” for a Ruth store model bat.
Just as you want to see on one of the Babe’s game used bats, the barrel exhibits ball marks from a few Ruthian cuts. The handle also exhibits a 5" crack with some deadwood toward the end of the barrel. The ash wood has taken on a warm, golden brown tone with age, enhancing the visual impact of this piece. An incredible part of baseball history, used by the game’s greatest slugger at a time when every swing was potentially a new world record. This bat comes with a Letter of Authenticity from MEARS, who has graded the bat a grade of A6.