This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2013
ADDENDUM: ADDITIONAL AREAS OF RESTORATION TO THE BALL ARE - A 1/2" IN DIAMETER AREA LOCATED 1 1/2" TO THE LEFT OF THE RUTH AUTOGRAPH, NEXT TO THE 9 IN. 5 OZ. SPALDING STAMPING; A 3/16" IN DIAMETER AREA LOCATED 3/8" ABOVE THE "R" IN RUTH NEAR THE STITCHING; AND A 5/16" BY 1/8" STRIP LOCATED 5/16" TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOP OF THE "H" IN RUTH.
Any collector would be hard pressed to find a single signed Babe Ruth baseball with more impressive eye appeal than this one. The Babe took this clean, white, unused official NL Heydler ball and graced it with one of the most heart-stopping examples of his autograph you'll ever see. Flawlessly penned on the heart of the sweet spot in dark blue ink, the signature projects as a 10 in terms of style and boldness. Conservatively, the ball itself rates NM, however close inspection of the area just above the "u" in "Ruth" reveals an extremely subtle area of restoration, about the size of a pencil eraser. This nearly imperceptible improvement was likely done to mask a minor blemish and does nothing to distract from the magnificence of Ruth's signature. A Babe Ruth single signed baseball is a piece of Americana that transcends the field of sports memorabilia. The offered example ranks in the top 1% of Ruth singles we've encountered with regard to pure visual aesthetics.
Includes a full LOA from PSA/DNA.