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 PSA/DNA have determined that based on the specifications and center brand stamping this Babe Ruth gamer dates to the 1923 to 1925 period. During that three year period, the Babe hit a total of 112 home runs - twice leading the league in that category - won a batting crown, a World Championship and was voted the Most Valuable Player in the American League (amazingly his only MVP season!). These were the years that solidified the Babe’s reputation as the greatest player who had ever swung a bat – and this was all before his historic 60 home run season of 1927 or the “called shot” of the 1932 World Series.
Weighing 40.5 oz. and measuring 36” in length, the ash bat shows excellent evidence of use with a repaired handle crack and a water stain on the top of the right barrel that has been removed. A plethora of ball marks cover the barrel along with swelling to the grain from numerous impacts.
The bat retains outstanding display quality and endures as a glorious monument to The Great Bambino. PSA/DNA’s renowned bat expert, John Taube, has given this museum-worthy relic an overall grade of GU 8. 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! A piece that is certain to be the centerpiece of even the most prestigious collection.
