Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
In Game 2 of the 1933 World Series, the New York Giants, who already had a 1-0 series lead, were down 1-0 in the 6th inning. They had runners on second and third with slugger Mel Ott coming to the plate. Washington 26 year old rookie player/manager Joe Cronin ordered Ott intentionally walked to get to light hitting Kiddo Davis. But Giants player/manager Bill Terry had an ace up his sleeve in career .349 Lefty O’Doul on the bench, and hit for Davis. O’Doul, who was aging in 1933, but had two batting titles and seasons hitting .398, .383 and .368, promptly lined a single, bringing in two runs and giving the Giants a 2-1 lead. Tacking on four more that inning, th Giants went on to take a commanding 2-0 series lead, which they eventually won in five games. O’Doul’s hit and two RBI was his only appearance in that series, and it could be argued it was the biggest play of those five games, turning around the important Game 2.
While not as historic as Kirk Gibson 9th inning home run off Dennis Eckersley in 1988, the O’Doul hit changed the course of the Series. This is the 14K size 8 ring presented to Lefty O’Doul for his participation in the Giants World Series Championship. The face features a large purplish stone with “1933 WORLD’S CHAMPIONS” in raised relief on the perimeter. One shank has the city name “NEW YORK” on a pair of crossed bats and a baseball, while the other side has a similar motif with the team name “GIANTS.” Inside the band is his name “Frank O’Doul” with the “14K LAMBERT BROS” name. In addition, “Presented by……1934” is etched within, but continued usage has worn away a portion of what is engraved. Despite this usage effect, the overall condition of the ring is quite remarkable, with the raised lettering fully readable and within excessive wear. This is one of the earliest World Series rings we have offered, one which was presented to the man who literally changed the course of the 1933 World Series.