This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2001.
Babe Ruth was a man of many talents who left his mark on more than just baseball. Most fans know that Ruth dabbled in acting, but it is not generally known that Ruth also tried his hand at writing. Or at least he put his name to a book in 1920, his first year with the New York Yankees, when he hit a then-unheard of 54 home runs. The book was not, as the title would suggest, a Ruth memoir, but rather a novel loosely based on his childhood years at St. Mary's, a Catholic reformatory in Baltimore. The 240-page hardbound book, published by the A.L. Burt Company, measures 5" x 7-1/2" and has a green cover with a black engraving of a left-handed hitter swinging a bat, a la Ruth. The Babe, no doubt with great pride, signed his name next to the image in blue fountain pen, and the signature rates a strong 8. On the title page is the book's full title: "‘The Home-Run King', or "How Pep Pindar Won His Title', By ‘Babe' Ruth (George H. Ruth)." Other than some general damage, frayed edging and a slight yellowing of the pages, the book is in excellent condition and is a dream Ruth collectible that shows why the Bambino wasn't just The Home Run King but in fact The King of Media.