March 29, 2018 Sports Memorabilia
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/29/2018
Manufacturer: Hillericht & Bradsby Co. Model No.: R2. Labeling Period: 1925-1926. Length: 35" Weight: 39.5 oz. Wood: Ash. Finish: Standard. LOA: PSA. This Babe Ruth game used bat was used by the Bambino during the 1925 and 1926 seasons. While 1925 was not a momentous year, 1926 was an exceptional season for the Babe, who batted 47 home runs for a .372 overall batting average; losing the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. The PSA letter confirms the following information: This bat is either his No. 2 6-21-24 order of March 5th, 1925 or his No. 1 small model lightweight ordered on March 8th 1926. It is standard pre-war style sans model number on knob and the reference to model is based on the Louisville Slugger records. The ;26 records show two orders for bats weighting 36-39 oz. Player characteristics: the subject displays contact areas on right, left and back of barrel. In their opinion, the amount of grain swelling on left barrel indicates it was the primary contact area, which was a known trait of Babe Ruth game used bats, as he was known to approach the plate from the left side with the center label in the downward position. Comments: This bat has a branding flaw in the "125", common during this era, which leaves a light impression. This 125 is all original as manufactured and there was no attempt to change a 40 into a 125. Conclusion: It is our opinion that the bat is authentic as described. This style of Babe Ruth bat, with its long slender profile and heavy weight are amongst the most desirable of all Babe Ruth styles and given the amount of use along with the flattened hitting area above the player name, this is pronounced to the point that a baseball will sit on this flat spot, makes them amongst the most sought after baseball relics. The complete PSA research letter will be included.