Baseball, more than any other sport, has certain "magic numbers" - 755, 61, 3,000, 30/30 - numbers that to an outsider doesn't mean a thing, but to devotees of the game these digits mean you have attained a certain place in the history of the game. "500" is one of those numbers. It represents the elite of the elite - players who have hit more than 500 career home runs. Reaching that number means you are a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame and more importantly, membership in the exclusive "500 Club".

      Babe Ruth was the founding member in 1929 and remained its only member until Hank Aaron joined him some 40 years later. In 1988 sports artist Ron Lewis was commissioned to paint an epic depiction of all living members of baseball's 500 Home Run Club. The plan was for a limited edition lithograph to be made of the painting that all eleven members would sign at a gathering in Atlantic City. The event turned out to be wildly successful and today this Ron Lewis' lithograph is one of the most sought after and reproduced pieces of sports art ever produced. Yet those are mere reproductions - this is the real thing.  

     Goldin Auctions is proud to offer THE ORIGINAL oil painting by Ron Lewis from which the copies were made. This beautiful work measures a Ruthian 29 1/2 x 57 inches and captures Ted Williams, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Reggie Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, and Willie McCovey on the field together in Yankee Stadium. Each player is depicted in the prime of their career, wearing the uniforms they made famous, relaxing in the company of their fellow members of the 500 Club. The colors, facial expressions and clear blue sky are simply breathtaking when seen in their original painted form. Professionally framed to 34 1/2 x 62 inches, this is a once in a lifetime chance to own the original of one of the most popular sports art pieces ever made.

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