This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/11/2023.
For more than a decade, the Yankees were largely defined by one player: Babe Ruth. “The Bambino” arrived in New York in 1920 and never looked back. During his 15 seasons in pinstripes, he clubbed 659 home runs and was the signal-biggest drawing card in the world. His final season in The Bronx came in 1934 when the team finished second in the A.L. standings, seven games behind the pennant winning Detroit Tigers. After hitting his last 22 home runs, Ruth passed the proverbial torch to teammate Lou Gehrig, but that’s a different story for another auction lot. This lot features a 1934 New York Yankees team-signed baseball with a total of 24 players' signatures on the Tober (USA) Western League Baseball including Ruth's autograph on the sweet spot in black via a steel-tip fountain pen, in our opinion rating an 8. The Tober ball, which shows noticeable toning and sports red and blue stitching, includes three more Hall of Fame signatures: second baseman Tony Lazzeri and pitchers Lefty Gomez (19-11) and Red Ruffing (26-5). Other notable signatures include Myrill Hoag, Frankie Crosetti, Jack Saltzgaver, Ben Chapman, Danny MacFayden and Russ VanAtta, rating 6-8 in our opinion. Accompanied by an LOA from JSA (YY25623) and a Letter of Provenance from the consignor’s family detailing exactly how the baseball was acquired from Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert Jr. during Spring Training in 1934 in St. Petersburg, Florida.