Babe Ruth 1932 Signed Baseball

Sotheby's is proud to present this Babe Ruth 1932 signed baseball.

This ball is accompanied by a letter from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signatures. 

Going Deeper | Babe Ruth

“It wasn’t that he hit more home runs than anybody else, he hit them better, higher, farther, with more theatrical timing and a more flamboyant flourish.” - Red Smith

Ruth became a permanent fixture in Major League Baseball in 1915 with the Boston Red Sox. A dynamic player, Ruth came into the league as a pitcher and spent his first few seasons primarily on the mound. Though he helped the Red Sox secure back-to-back World Series titles in 1915 and 1916, by 1918 Ruth’s prowess at the plate became impossible to ignore.

In 1919, his final year with Boston, Ruth set the single-season home run record with 29. After the season, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee controversially sold Ruth’s contract to the New York Yankees. 

The trade would prove to be among the most influential in sports history. The fallout caused by the trade would come to be known as ‘The Curse of the Bambino.’ Between 1919-2003, the Yankees won 26 World Series championships to Boston’s zero.  

In his first years with the Yankees, Ruth’s numbers were staggering. He finished the 1920 season with 54 home runs, 135 RBIs, and 158 runs. In 1921, he topped those numbers, finishing the season with 59 home runs, 168 RBIs, and 177 runs scored.

During his 15 years in New York, Ruth was dominant and led the New York Yankees to seven American League Pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth also led the American League in home runs 12 times, including a record-setting 60 home runs in 1927 - a record that would stand for 34 years. 

Ruth retired in 1935, ending his 22-year career with a then-record 714 home runs. His career stats included 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,214 RBIs, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage, and a .690 slugging percentage.