Like everything else he did, Babe Ruth hit home runs unlike anyone else. While many players, such as teammate Lou Gehrig, hit hard line drives that cleared the outfield wall, a Ruth home run was a high-arching and graceful blast, something that inspired everyone in the ballpark to stop and silently watch as it sailed into the stands. Though he claimed to have modeled his swing after the great Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ruth's form may have originated from watching his mentor Brother Mattias hit pop flies to him and the other orphans back at St. Mary's School for Boys.

      Wherever he learned it, Ruth and his home runs became the symbol of the modern game and nothing was more frightening to a pitcher than to see The Babe step up to the plate with a bat in his hands. This spectacular piece couples the most desirable item in baseball collecting - a Babe Ruth autograph - and pairs it with the thing that made him an icon - a Louisville Slugger bat. One must realize that while Babe Ruth signed tens of thousands of baseballs, a signed bat is a rarity, easily 100 times more scarce than a baseball, representing one of the greatly undervalued formats of Babe Ruth autographs.

      Midway between the center brand and Ruth's stamped endorsement on this store-model bat, the surface has been sanded and the Babe has penned an absolutely gorgeous signature in black fountain pen. The Babe Ruth model bat shows some use with several cleat marks and dings from contact with the ground and other bats. The knob end has "35" stamped into it. The stamping on the center brand and endorsement remains deep and dark. The bat's surface has taken on a warm golden brown tone with age, giving this signed Ruth bat a beautiful appearance. Collectors know that any Babe Ruth signature is desirable, but to find one of this quality on the very instrument he used to revolutionize the game is absolutely precious. This item comes with a Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA (Z04658) and JSA (B61007). 

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