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Babe Ruth’s 1920s dress cap up for bid at GottaHaveSports
Babe Ruth was most often seen in his famous Yankee pinstripes, the No. 3 jersey and flannel uniform he wore loosely on his bulky frame.
But The Babe was also well known for his stylish dress away from Yankee Stadium.
Beginning around 1922, Ruth was seen often around New York City and other big cities wearing his famous camel-hair coat and matching cap. The golden-brown ensemble helped Ruth stand out during the times. He often wore the heavy coat draped over his shoulders like a cape, with the matching cap tilted at an angle, matching Ruth’s quirky personality. Former teammate and longtime friend Waite Hoyt once said of Ruth’s ensemble: “In truth, it was becoming.”
There are hundreds of historic photos of Ruth wearing his favorite outfit, and now his famous cap is up for bid in the GottaHaveSports auction at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com.
According to the auction description, the 8-panel, camel-hair cap shows moderate wear with several small stains present on the crown and underside and the brown leather headband cracked from use and age. A “custom styled” label is affixed to the interior of the crown. “A Hall of Fame-worthy piece as identifiable with Babe Ruth as his Yankees cap,” the site says.
The cap, which was originally sold at Sotheby's as part of the famous Halper collection in 1999, has a minimum bid of $20,000 and is expected to sale for $30,000-$40,000.
The GottaHaveSports auction, which opens March 16, also has several other historic pieces, including: a baseball signed by Hall of Famers Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Christy Mathewson; four Mickey Mantle hand-written letters; a 1961 game-used professional-model glove from Sandy Koufax; and a 1966 Roberto Clemente game-worn, professional-model glove.
For lots and more information, check out the auction catalog at GottaHaveRockandRoll.com.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
