Iconic Memorabilia Auction: Ruth Game-Used Bat, Mantle Glove
Keeping true to the company name, Iconic Memorabilia is ready to roll out some truly iconic pieces of memorabilia for its Spring Auction that runs from Mar. 11-26.
Leading off is the bedrock of any solid auction: a Babe Ruth game-used bat. Dating from an early labeling period from 1918-22, the bat dates back to the Bambino’s final days in Boston and his first years in Yankee pinstripes. It was during this time that Ruth found his niche and began to swing for the fences.
“You are always excited to handle a Babe Ruth game-used anything – especially a game-used bat,” said Jeff Woolf, principal managing officer for Iconic Memorabilia. “It really is the Holy Grail of baseball memorabilia. In my opinion, in the sports realm, nothing can really top a Ruth gamer.”
Another headlining relic that is certain to grab collector’s attention in Iconic’s sale is an offering of a large-format photograph signed by President John F. Kennedy and his complete Joint Chiefs of Staff for 1962.
“These were the men that made perhaps the most critical decision of the 20th century. This photo is extraordinarily rare and significant,” Woolf said. “They were literally on the brink of launching nuclear warfare, and they created a plan that amazingly made the USSR back down on the Cuban Missile crisis. These men literally saved the world from a real chance of total destruction.”
Highlights
The Ruth bat comes with extensive provenance and is graded A7 by MEARS. This particular piece of lumber holds tremendous historical significance to the game of baseball itself. With usage dating between 1918-21, one can consider the four-year span of this bat’s production cycle, and realize that the most significant personnel change in the history of sports happened at the center of it when Ruth was traded by the Red Sox to the Yankees at the conclusion of the 1919 season.
The Kennedy and his Joint Chiefs of Staff photo shows President John F. Kennedy, Lyman Lemnitzer, David M. Shoup, George H. Decker, George Anderson and Curtis LeMay. The image measures approximately 15-by-14 inches and is hand-signed along the matte by all six featured within the photo, the highlight being a choice black ink signature from President Kennedy.
The auction also includes a Mickey Mantle game-used Rawlings baseball glove. The Rawlings Dual Palm Big Trap-Eze professional model glove exhibits nice usage throughout with heavy wearing on the palm and fingers and heavy uniform soiling.
Also in the sale is a Ty Cobb handwritten letter with great baseball content. Cobb shows a much different side of himself in this letter, offering generosity to a young boy in the form of a remarkable lesson in baseball. Dated May 12, 1953, this one page, double-sided letter is penned entirely in Cobb’s hand on his personal letterhead.
Other prominent items featured in the upcoming sale include:
- Paul McCartney signed 1964-inspired Texan acoustic guitar
- Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods dual-signed Masters flag with hand=painted portraits (UDA)
- Rocky Marciano signed letter with (PSA 9)
- 1969 N.Y. Mets team-signed ONL baseball (29 signatures)
- Bob Dylan signed electric guitar (Epperson/REAL)
- Babe Ruth signed display with “10” autograph
- Michael Jackson signed “Thriller” album
- 2001 Albert Pujols game-iused St. Louis Cardinals jersey
- Super Bowl MVPs multi-signed limited-edition helmet (No. 65/152) with 20 signatures, including Montana, Bradshaw, Aikman, etc.
- “The Jimi Hendrix Experience” group-signed page in custom framed display (Epperson/REAL).
For additional information and copies of the auction catalog, call (800) 325-7127 or visit www.iconicmemorabilia.com.
