NEW YORK — A baseball jersey worn by US baseball icon Babe Ruth set a new record for sports memorabilia at auction on Sunday, selling for $24.1 million.
The auction, which was held online, spanned several weeks and surpassed the previous record of $12.6 million set in August 2022 for a Mickey Mantle baseball card.
Before 2022, no piece of sports memorabilia had ever sold for over $10 million. However, that year saw both the Mantle card and a jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan break this barrier.
The record-breaking jersey was worn by Ruth during a pivotal game against the Chicago Cubs in the 1932 World Series. During the game, Ruth, known as “The Bambino,” was taunted by the opposing team. In response, he famously pointed toward the center-field stands and then hit the next pitch there for a home run.
The Yankees won the game and the World Series, marking Ruth’s final championship win.
After retiring, Ruth gave the jersey to a golf partner. It was sold three times, with the most recent sale occurring in 2005 for $940,000.
