Babe Ruth’s $24.1m jersey knocks sports memorabilia record out of the park

A jersey worn by legendary baseball icon Babe Ruth has smashed the record for the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold at auction, fetching an astounding $24.1 million on Sunday.

The New York Yankee’s jersey, which was auctioned online over several weeks, was anticipated to surpass the previous record: $12.6 million paid in August 2022 for a Mickey Mantle baseball card.

Before 2022, no sports memorabilia had ever crossed the symbolic $10-million threshold. However, that year saw both the Mantle card and a jersey worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan exceed the mark.

Ruth, also known as “The Bambino”, donned the record-breaking jersey during a historic 1932 World Series game against the Chicago Cubs. In that game, Ruth was taunted by the opposing team, leading him to allegedly gesture toward the centerfield stands before smashing the next pitch for a home run.

The Yankees won both the game and the World Series, marking the final championship of Ruth’s storied career.

Years after retiring, Ruth gifted the jersey to a golf partner. It has since changed hands three times, most recently selling for $940,000 in 2005.

Priceless play: The most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold

The world of sports memorabilia is filled with items that have sold for astronomical prices. Here are some of the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold:

1. Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” Jersey – Sold for $9.3 million in 2022, this jersey was worn by Maradona during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match against England, where he scored both the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century.”
2. Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Jersey – Worn during Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, also known as “The Last Dance,” this jersey fetched $10.1 million in 2022, the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia.
3. Original Olympic Games Manifesto – This historic document, which laid out the foundation for the modern Olympic Games, was sold for $8.8 million in 2019. It was written by Pierre de Coubertin in 1892.

Additional source: AFP

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