Auction Item Details
Lot 81
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Lot Number: 81
Description: Exceptional Babe Ruth professional model baseball bat inscribed and presented to Broadway starlet Tessa Kosta c.1924. Through the late 1920s, Tessa Kosta was a star of the musical stage. Introduced to Broadway at the age of 13, she won immediate acclaim as a gifted singer and actress, appearing in such musicals as 'The Beauty Shop' with Raymond Hitchcock in 1914, 'Chu Chin Chow' with Tyrone Power Sr. and Florence Reed in 1917, and 'The Royal Vagabond' with Frederic Santley. Her major roles on Broadway were in 'Lassie' in 1920, 'The Chocolate Soldier' with Donald Brian in 1921, 'Caroline' in 1923 and 'Song of the Flame' in 1925. She was also a member of the exclusive and iconic Ziegfeld Girls Club. Among the legions captivated by the beauty and talent of Tessa Kosta was Richard Madden, a theatrical agent and writer who represented Eugene O'Neill and Cole Porter. The two were married, and together cut a path through the whirling social scene of New YorkÆs high society. No individual was more of a presence in New York society in the roaring twenties than Babe Ruth. Ruth arrived in the Big Apple in 1920, after being sold to the Yankees by Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee, himself a burgeoning theatre impresario. The move by Frazee, one that would live infamously in classic American folklore, not only changed the course of baseball history, but also prompted a sea of change within sports and popular culture that still resounds today. In the media capitol of the world, Babe RuthÆs boundless charisma and unmatched prowess on the baseball diamond elevated him to a level of popularity in his time greater than that of any public figure in American history. That the paths of Babe Ruth and Tessa Kosta would cross is not remarkable in and of itself. Their social status and RuthÆs fondness for beautiful starlets would have surely kept them in similar circles. The incredible irony involving their intersection involves Tessa's husband, Richard Madden, and Harry Frazee, the man largely responsible for Babe Ruth becoming a New York Yankee. The popular theory behind FrazeeÆs desire to sell Ruth to the Yankees has been that Frazee needed money to finance his Broadway play titled ôNo No Nanette", which was co-authored by Richard Madden, according to The New York Times. ôNo No Nanetteö opened on Broadway in 1925 to phenomenal success, providing some vindication for Frazee, who was vilified in Boston for sending the great Babe Ruth to the rival Yankees. Frazee enjoyed his triumph only briefly, succumbing to a form of kidney failure called Bright's Disease on June 4, 1929. After Richard Madden passed away years later, Tessa Kosta became a lifelong beneficiary of royalties associated with ôNo No Nanetteö. The offered Babe Ruth bat, inscribed by him and gifted to Tessa Kosta, is a Louisville Slugger 125 model measuring 35 3/4" long and weighing an incredible 42.4oz. Both the Louisville Slugger centerbrand (1921-31 labeling) and the "Babe Ruth" facsimile name stampings remain very bold. The bat presents perfect evidence of use including ball marks, stitching impressions, grain swelling, and cleat marks. Pronounced lathe marks appear on the knob and barrel ends. A portion of the barrel has been flattened in an area consistent with a label down left handed batter. Babe Ruth has autographed the back of the barrel with a personalized inscription, ôTo Tessa Kosta From Babe Ruth April 27th 1924". A portion of the word ôFromö, as well as portions of the date notation have been partially enhanced by an unknown hand in the period, which is visible only upon very close examination and is mentioned for accuracy only. In fact, non-enhanced portions of "From" and the dating notation remain quite bold and legible. RuthÆs salutation and signature are original and unaltered rating 9 out of 10. The bat remains in beautiful original condition exhibiting a rich, deep brown color with the integrity of the original surface patination untouched since its use by Babe Ruth. With great pleasure, Hunt Auctions has offered several of the finest Babe Ruth game used baseball bats extant, including the bat attributed to Ruth's 59th home run of the 1921 season, and a signed bat used to hit a home run in the 1923 World Series. These examples, and a scant few others, are among the most elite within the known inventory of Ruth game bats. We are honored to present the offered Babe Ruth game used bat, and feel confident that it merits a place among the finest Ruth game used baseball bats to have been offered at auction. Includes LOA from Hunt Auctions (bat), LOA from JSA (autograph), and letter of provenance detailing the lineage of the bat's history: Bat: EX-MT, Signature: NM (With note to partial word/date enhancement)
Estimated Price: ($150,000.00-$200,000.00)
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