Auction Item Details
Lot 1204
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Lot Number: 1204
Description: Baseball bat signed and game used by Babe Ruth c.1943. Wonderful baseball historical object obtained at an exhibition game played in Hartford, CT at Bulkeley Stadium. The teams were the Savitt Gems who were a semi-pro team owned by Connecticut jeweler Bill Savitt and a travelling exhibition team for which Ruth was playing. During the course of the game (as retold by former Hartford Times sports reporter Harold Ogden) Babe Ruth hit several home runs one of which cracked the offered bat which was used to hit the home run. The bat is a 34" Louisville Slugger model 125JFS Special Jimmie Foxx bat with foil stamped markings and fasc. signature. Bat has handle crack and period black tape which according to family history was placed on bat by Ruth before he presented it to Morton Gillman who was the 16 year old batboy for the Gems. After the game Gillman and Fred Silliman (boy who caught the home run ball) had Babe autograph their respective treasures. The photo pictured in the catalogue captures this moment with a copy of the image included with the lot. The bat markings are clearly visible in the photo adding a "fingerprint" to the authentication of the piece. The bat was used for many years after by Gillman's son as the signature has faded with the last name rating 2 out of 10 and the first only visible under black lighting. Includes LOA regarding signature and notarized letter of provenance regarding bat from Gillman's son Mark detailing the history. Unique opportunity to acquire a Ruth game used bat at a fraction of its' typical pricing range: Bat: VG, Signature: PR-GD
Estimated Price: ($4,000.00-$5,000.00)
