This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/11/2001.
Like a gunslinger out of the Old West, Babe Ruth would mark his kill by carving a notch on his bat whenever he blasted a pitch out of the park with it. While some people through the years have believed this to be an apocryphal tale befitting the Babe's legend, this one-of-a-kind item just might be baseball's answer to the Holy Grail. It's one of Ruth's bats used during 1927-31, a 5-season span when he averaged an amazing 51 home runs per season, While we don't know which of those 255 home runs were marked by a notch, it's possible some may be of the 60 shots he blasted over the wall in 1927, setting a record that stood for over half a century. Profound in any case is the fact that all the notches were likely part of Ruth's career total of 714, a number that has become imbedded in American history. Any authentic Ruth bat is a collector's dream. With this bat, one can almost feel the ball exploding off it. This Hillerich and Bradsby bat has the labeling period from 1927-31. It is a 36", 36 3/4 oz. Professional Model 125, Signature contract model bat that shows a ton of game use. The bat has numerous ball marks and is cracked with deadwood about the barrel and numerous nails on the back. Some of the deadwood goes through the name of Ruth. Underneath the center label are 11 home run notches that have been determined with confidence to have been placed around the time the bat was made. There are only four known such examples of this historical aspect. One of which is held on display at the Louisville Slugger Bat factory.The initials "BR" have been carved into the knob and there seems to be a light coat of varnish on the bat. This lot comes with two additional letters of authenticity from a highly recognized bat expert.