Mention the name “Babe Ruth” to the average sports fan, and the image they’ll evoke will be that of the larger-than-life home run hitter, Yankee pinstripes hanging loosely on his giant frame, swinging his cudgel of a bat at a ball about to be crushed somewhere beyond reason. And that makes sense, because that’s how history remembers the New York Yankees great and first-ballot Hall of Famer.
But in 1916, his third season in the league, 21-year-old George Herman “Babe” Ruth was a much svelter, boyish-looking pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, who went 23-12, with a miniscule 1.75 ERA that season, and wasn’t at all known for his long-ball prowess. (He hit just three home runs that year, still pretty good considering the league leader collected only 12.)
This is the Ruth that appears on the ultra-rare 1916 M101-5 Sporting News baseball card, recognized by most collectors as his true “rookie card,” and which is pretty much impossible to find in decent condition. Only a handful exist in any condition, and the card has garnered as much as $1 million at auction.
As part of its upcoming “Sports Collectibles Platinum Auction” on Aug. 27-28 in Dallas, Heritage Auctions is offering a professionally authenticated card that graded 7 out of 10. It’s estimated to realize over $600,000 at auction—and may just eclipse the $1 million mark. With the exception of the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner (a copy of which sold for $2.8 million in 2013) and the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (valued in top condition at over $1 million), this Ruth is by far the most sought after card in the collecting world.
Place a bid on the Babe Ruth card here. Take a look at some other items from the upcoming auction RealClearLife recently previewed here. For more information on the auction, click here. —Will Levith, RealClearLife
Meet your guide
More Like This
Twice a week, you'll find guinea pig features, personal essays and expert interviews on living better — for however long you’re here. Subscribe to Champ now.
