1923 Babe Ruth home run ball, 1961 Mickey Mantle bat top $300K in MLB All-Star Game auction

A 100-year-old baseball signed by Babe Ruth and a 1961 professional model bat used by Mickey Mantle both sold for more than $300,000 in the MLB All-Star auction presented by Hunt Auctions.

The rare items highlighted the live auction held at Capital One PLAY BALL PARK prior to the All-Star Game on Tuesday July 11.

Ruth hit the official National League ball for a home run in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series. It was Ruth’s third home run of the 1923 Fall Classic, the first World Series championship for the Yankees.

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The ball, which sold for $317,250, includes Ruth’s autograph and an inscription: “Home Run Ball World Series “Babe” Ruth Oct 15, 1923.” It had been part of a private collection since 1988.

The Louisville Slugger Mantle bat, which sold for $399,500, was dated to the historic 1961 season and the early part of 1962. 

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Graded GU 9.5 by PSA/DNA, the game-used bat came with a typewritten letter denoting its game use and signed by Mantle. The $399,500 sales price was a record for a Mantle regular-season bat.

Also topping six figures was a game-worn 1954 Ted Williams Boston Red Sox road jersey, which sold for $130,000. 

“Our annual live auction features the finest historic baseball memorabilia, which this year [was] highlighted by several spectacular single objects and private collections,” Hunt Auctions President David Hunt said. “The outstanding prices realized clearly demonstrate the strength of the market as showcased in the historic MLB All-Star Game venue.”