There are very few things in the hobby that can get one’s heart racing like a Babe Ruth single-signed ball. The cornerstone of any high-end collection, a Babe Ruth signed ball in any condition is a sight to behold – but few come remotely close to this pristine example. The Babe’s iconic signature is perfectly placed on the ball’s sweet spot, executed in strong black fountain pen, almost leaping off the surface of the creamy white leather. The beautiful condition of the signature and ball would be enough to make this one of the greatest examples in the hobby, but this ball has the additional cache of being linked to the one event in Babe Ruth’s storied career that made him a legend in his own time.

The original owner of this ball has carefully recorded the circumstances surrounding how it was obtained by inscribing “Houston Texas 7-10-47 Buffalos Stadium” on one side panel and “Game Between Houston + Fort Worth Score 1 to 1 11 innings.” A perusal of newspapers from that time show that the Babe was touring the Southwest as the advisor for the American Legion baseball program. Though his body was ravaged by the cancer that would take his life just over a year later, the Babe believed it important that he help spread the joy of baseball to the American children he loved so much. Thousands greeted Ruth at every stop on his tour, and his arrival in Houston led to the city declaring July 10 “Babe Ruth Day” in the Bayou City. The Babe caused a bit of controversy that day in Houston when he candidly spoke to reporters about the incident that made him larger than life: his “Called Shot” in the 1932 World Series. Up to this point, Ruth had been uncharacteristically quiet about the famous event, but at this time filming had begun on his biopic “The Babe Ruth Story” and the Called Shot would figure prominently in the plot.

This rehashing of the now-legendary event had brought forth many critics who denied Ruth ever called his shot, and the Babe used his stop in Houston to put any doubts to rest and settle the argument once and for all. To quote a syndicated newspaper article from the following morning: “I was mad,” said the husky-voiced Babe. “Everyone was riding me, so I just said I’d knock the next one out of there and I did. I just had luck, and the Lord was with me.”  It was later that day the Babe attended the Houston – Fort Worth game and signed this gem mint ball. The ball is a Spalding Official Texas League model, and as stated above, the condition is outstanding. No finer single-signed Ruth ball exists with such a definitive link to one of the greatest events in baseball history. The experts at PSA/DNA agree as this ball comes with a GEM MT 10 LOA from PSA/DNA (AE71195) for the signature.

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