Spring Premium LIVE Auction April 30th and Catalog Auction May 7th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2016
No player in the history of the game had a harder job than the one that was handed to George Selkirk in the spring of 1935. The 27 year-old Ontario native, in his first full season in the Majors, was selected to replace Babe Ruth in right field for the New York Yankees. The Babe had been released during the winter and the Yankees reached down into their vast farm system and brought up George Selkirk. Called “Twinkletoes” because he ran on the balls of his feet, Selkirk had been in the minors since 1927, stuck behind a never ending line of players all vying to break into a Yankee team that was loaded with future Hall of Famers. After batting .357 for Newark, the Yanks top farm team, he was brought up to the Bronx at the tail end of the 1934 season. Like all the other young outfielders in the Yankees organization, all Selkirk could hope for was being used as a spot replacement for the veteran outfield of Ruth, Ben Chapman and Earle Combs. That all changed with Ruth’s surprise departure. Suddenly a spot opened up for Selkirk who was in the right place at the right time. To add a little more pressure to the young Canadian, Selkirk was given Ruth’s famous number “3”. Although George Selkirk was no Babe Ruth, he did hit .312 for 1935, second only to Lou Gehrig. His Major League career lasted eight seasons, all spent with New York where he played in five World Series’ and was voted on to two All-Star teams. No, George Selkirk wasn’t Babe Ruth, but he was the best Canadian ball player of the 20th century.
Sometime during the summer he replaced The Babe, Selkirk had his Yankee teammates including Lou Gehrig sign one of his game used bats. Selkirk’s signature model Hillerich & Bradsby model bat corresponds to the bats he ordered during the 1934-1937 period. The bat is un-cracked and displays moderate game use. Several ball marks with stitch impressions can be seen on its barrel and there is the remains of a ring of white adhesive tape that was once wrapped around the lower handle to enhance the grip. The bats barrel shows some staining on the back barrel and handle, none of which affects Lou Gehrig’s black fountain pen signature, which appears on the right barrel. The bat originally featured the signatures of other members of the 1935 Yankees but all except Gehrig have been removed. A very important piece of baseball history marking Babe Ruth’s departure from the Yankees and Lou Gehrig’s ascension as the team’s marquee superstar. Letter of Authenticity (1B11324) from PSA/DNA who have graded this bat a GU 8. Also comes with Letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA (AA05853) grading the autograph a NR MT-Mint 8, which we believe is the highest grade ever awarded to a signed Gehrig bat!