After a decade and a half in New York, in 1935 Babe Ruth decided to return to the city where it all began for him: Boston. The Babe had made his name in the late teens as the best left handed pitcher in baseball. Back then he was with the Red Sox, now he would be returning as a Brave. Ruth had long coveted a manager’s spot with the Yankees but when Joe McCarthy was hired the Bambino realized that avenue was closed to him. When Boston Braves’ owner Emil Fuchs heard Ruth was available he quickly offered the slugger a three-year contract to not only play left field but serve as the team's assistant manager and vice president. Ruth believed it would lead to the manager’s spot in 1936, but Fuchs had no intention of letting that happen. To the Braves owner, Ruth meant a nice bump in attendance at home and on the road for his basement dwelling club.

      The Babe was 40 years old that season and showed every bit of it. His legs were tired and he was badly out of shape but he none the less thrilled fans in National League cities who'd yet to see him play. And because he was Babe Ruth, he still had that wallop in his bat, demonstrated by the Opening Day homer he hit against Carl Hubble and the three home run game against Pittsburgh on May 25th. The last one - career number 714 - was so mighty it cleared the right field roof of Forbes Field, the first time that had ever been done in that ballpark's history. Ruth rounded the bases and waved his cap at the screaming fans. After touching home plate, he took himself out of the game. Exiting through the Pirates dugout he sat down to rest beside pitcher Mace Brown and exclaimed "Boy, that last one felt good!"

      This player's contract is the very last one Ruth signed as an active Major League ball player and is an incredibly important part of baseball history. As such, the contract is housed in a custom 10" x 12" inch hand-tooled leather case embossed with "BABE RUTH HIS LAST CONTRACT 1935 BOSTON BRAVES" in gold leaf. The cover opens to reveal the contract stored within a gold-trimmed fabric-covered folio under a protective acetate page. The contract itself is a standard National League Uniform Player's Contract made out to "George Herman Ruth". The front page notes his new team "Boston National League Baseball Company" and the terms "$25,000 per year for a term of three years". The second page is dated February 28, 1935 (a mere two days after the Yankees released him) and has been signed by Ruth with a very bold and dark stroke. Braves president Emil Fuchs has signed above Ruth and witnesses Samuel Silverman, F. Burton Whitman and James O'Leary have signed to the left. The signature has been rated a perfect Gem Mint 10 py PSA/DNA. As a working document, the contract has two horizontal folds and slight edge wear from storage as well as some slight staining on the first page. None of this distracts what so ever from the historical significance and condition of the signatures inside.

      Goldin Auctions has previously sold Babe's final Red Sox contract for over $1 million, and his 1922 Yankees contract for $550,000. His Final contract as a player is of similar importance. A Cooperstown-worthy part of our National Pastime's greatest player.

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