1922 Babe Ruth Multi-Signed Contract Amendment

Of all the larger than life athletes that dominated the roaring twenties -- Red Grange, Jack Dempsey, Bobby Jones, Bill Tilden, Man o' War -- none was bigger than Babe Ruth. In Ruth, Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert had both a player of unrivaled ability and a gate attraction unmatched in the history of American spectator sports. He also had a manchild whose gargantuan appetites, charisma, and ego kept the media scurrying in the wake of his latest generosities and indiscretions. Of Ruth’s constant carousing, roommate Ping Bodie once famously quipped, "I don't room with him. I room with his suitcase." In April of 1922, the Yankees signed Babe Ruth to a three-year contract for a salary of $52,000 per year. The odd salary figure was reached based on Ruth’s simplistic desire to receive the round sum of $1,000 per week. Though it was the highest salary for a ballplayer up to that time, and equal to about 40 percent of the entire Yankees payroll, owner Jacob Ruppert was happy to oblige. However, the 1922 season would see Ruth’s excessive behavior come to a head. The late nights and the Babe’s unbridled gluttony took its toll on Ruth physically, while his notorious disregard for authority resulted in dissention throughout the club. Ruth's health and his continued defiance of manager Miller Huggins resulted in fines and even a suspension. The same Ruth who would happily spend hours of free time with needy children was ejected from games for feuding with umpires and regularly engaging in heated exchanges with heckling fans. Ruth, who was used to being the fan favorite, began hearing boos. His stats plummeted, dropping him to third in homers (with thirty-five) and out of the top five for RBI's (with ninety-nine). Given all this, the Yankees still managed to hold onto their American League crown and prepared for a rematch against the defending World Champion New York Giants. The Yankees were dispatched in five games. Ruth’s miseries continued, with Giants pitching holding baseball's greatest slugger to two hits in seventeen at-bats for a .118 average in the series. The Bambino had hit a low point, personally and professionally. Soon after the season ended Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert took drastic action. The result was this five-page amendment to Ruth’s contract that was drafted and signed on November 13, 1922. In the season prior Ruth had been fined a grand total of $9,000 by the team, which had been deducted from his salary. The amendment allowed Ruth to be repaid that amount along with establishing a revised pay schedule based on defined “regulations” which Ruth had to abide by. Among these outlined in the offered document include abstaining entirely from the use of intoxicating liquors and not staying up past 1:00 am. Both Ruppert and Ruth have initialed the first, second, and fourth pages in black ink (“GHR”, averaging 8/10). The document has been signed on the final page in black ink by “Geo. H. Ruth” (9/10), and “Jacob Ruppert” (8/10). It has been notarized and features several handwritten changes throughout. There are slight tears along the fold lines, otherwise the contract is in excellent condition. Its original envelope is included. The impact of this historic maneuver on the part of Ruppert is legion. The following season marked the opening of Yankees Stadium. A revitalized Bambino christened “The House That Ruth Built” with a historic home run on opening day of baseball's grand cathedral. He would go on to enjoy his finest season In 1923, hitting .393, with 41 homers and 131 RBI on his way toward winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award. In their brand new stadium (which featured crowds in excess of 62,000 and over $1 million dollars in ticket sales) Babe Ruth led the Yankees to a division title by sixteen games. He also exorcised his post-season demons carrying the Yankees to a World Series title, hitting three home runs, a triple, a double and two singles while batting .368 in a six game series over the Giants. This historic document represents a critical turning point, if not salvation, of the most prolific career in sports history. LOA: PSA/DNA.