October Legends Closing November 1
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/2/2014
At the height of his career, Babe Ruth could pretty much demand and receive anything he wanted, especially the exact style and model bats he wanted to use. In fact, his popularity and prominence allowed Ruth to have three distinct models patterned after his likes and wants, the R43, R34 and the R2.
After the 1928 season, which saw Ruth help lead the New York Yankees to another World Series Championship (the second consecutive for the Murderer’s Row Yankees), Ruth and Company were at the top of the world – again. This was also coming off his record breaking season of 1927, where Ruth broke his own home run record when he clouted 60 round trippers. It is no surprise then Ruth had a favorite piece of lumber, which was used during that record breaking season. To keep up his hitting prowess in 1929 and 1930, Ruth ordered many of his favorite model, known in original factory ordering records as “his 5-14-27 R34” model.
This offered 34.75 inch, 37.4 ounce white hickory bat is from the 1929/1930 ordering period and includes many characteristics of known Ruth gamers. The label has a C-5A center brand, which were produced from 1925 to 1933, with the non-baselined 125 within the brand (no underlining) further narrowing down the years from 1929 to 1933. But the center brand on this bat does not have the word “Powerized” next to the brand. The “Powerized” bats began to appear to the right of the center brand in 1931, which places this bat to the 1929 and 1930 seasons.
Despite the absence of a model number on the barrel or knob, we know this is a R34 model, manufactured specifically for Babe Ruth. His Professional Bat Ordering Records (PBOR) indicate Ruth made 11 orders from April 26, 1929 and August 9, 1930, all of which (with one exception) calling for “His 5-14-27” model, a R34 bat. This is confirmed by the known characteristics of that model number, and performing a caliper test at specific points which matched this bat to known R34 examples regarding the various widths from knob to barrel.
All those R34 length and widths regarding Ruth known gamers match this example, and the many know Ruth characteristics are readily apparent. First, the heavy usage on the barrel is primarily on the left side as if a right hander was hitting. Ruth almost always hit with a “barrel down” style, away from the hitter, a reversal of common hitting practice. In addition the bat has many cleat marks on the barrel, plus a scored handle to gain a better grip, two other well-known Ruth characteristics.
Finally, the bat is accompanied by an LOA from Bob Whitehill, grandson of Earl Whitehill, a former left-handed pitcher who toiled for 17 major league seasons, winning 218 games for four different teams. Earl was a friend of Ruth’s when The Babe gave him this exact bat in 1931, and it had remained in the Whitehill family until it was first auctioned in 2002.
This “George H. Ruth” signature model bat is superb with tremendous bold stampings, a perfect finish without any deadwood, cracking or chipping of any kind. However, there are a few barrel notches, which could be from Ruth hitting the dugout steps with the bat. This bat has tremendous Ruth use characteristics, comes with impeccable provenance and documentation. The characteristics of known Ruth gamers place this bat DIRECTLY INTO BABE RUTH’S HANDS, and is one of the nicest Ruth gamers extant. Full LOA from PSA/DNA, grading this bat GU-10, cert number 1B07651.