JSA-certified Autographed Babe Ruth Baseball Realizes Six Figures at Auction

There are very few collectibles in all of sports that stack up to a baseball signed by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth, with collectibles dated to his actual playing days not only being much rarer, but also a direct link to one of the greatest baseball careers of all time. One of these rarities that is JSA-certified was recently offered by Hunt Auctions. The Babe Ruth c.1931-32 Autographed Baseball certified JSA 8 NM-MT (lot 113) realized $135,125 in the July 2025 sale. Also included with the baseball is a JSA Letter of Authenticity, a letter of provenance tied to Harry M. Stevens and other related family history documentation.

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This exquisite example is autographed on a red and blue stitched Reach William Harridge Official American League baseball, which the Babe signed right on the sweet spot. The baseball also boasts provenance from famed entrepreneur and concessionaire Harry M. Stevens. According to the auction house, the ball resided in the Stevens family home in Niles, Ohio, for decades, with the home and ball being passed down to his daughter, Annie, and later to her sons in 1974.

When her sons chose to sell the home with all the furniture, fixtures and decor included, surprisingly, the Babe Ruth autographed baseball was also left in the home, carefully tucked inside of a dresser drawer. According to the auction house, the new owners of the home discovered the ball several weeks later, and it stayed within that family until this sale, when it was offered to the public for the first time ever — almost 100 years after Ruth penned his name on the ball.

Although there are plenty of remaining baseballs signed by Ruth, examples in high-grade condition are scarce. Even rarer are the extremely limited examples of signed balls that originated from his actual playing career, since the majority of his autographs were signed after he retired. Hunt Auctions ranks this particular example among the finest they have ever handled and called it one of the most "visually appealing" surviving examples in existence.

Starting his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox in 1914, Ruth became a dominant left-handed pitcher before proving his prowess at the plate and earning nicknames like the Sultan of Swat. His emergence as a bonified slugger led Boston to play him in the outfield when he wasn't pitching, and Ruth became one of the first great two-way players in league history.

In 1919, due to financial troubles, Boston owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth's contract in a controversial move that would change the landscape of baseball forever when the slugger joined the New York Yankees. The Babe went on to have one of the most iconic careers of all time. Meanwhile, the Red Sox would suffer one of the longest championship droughts ever over the next 86 years, which came to be known as the Curse of the Bambino following the ill-fated trade.

Ruth's accolades in New York are lengthy and few players' resumes compare. His mark of 714 made him the home run king for decades, which included 12 seasons as the AL leader, while also topping the AL in RBIs five times. With a career batting average of .341, the 1923 AL MVP and 1924 AL batting champion is one of the greatest hitters in MLB history. Add in the fact that he's a seven-time World Series champion, and the titles and individual records solidify Ruth as a baseball icon.

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