Babe Ruth's 'Called Shot' World Series Yankees Jersey Sells for Record $24.12M

One bidder paid a pretty penny to acquire a piece of one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.

ESPN's Dan Hajducky reported the jersey that New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth wore when he "called his shot" in the 1932 World Series went for $24.12 million at auction. It's the highest price ever for a piece of sports memorabilia.

"This is essentially the Mona Lisa," said Heritage Auctions director of sports auctions Chris Ivy. "It's s a very mythical moment that crosses over not only in baseball history, but American history, pop culture history. We're still talking about it 100 years later, which is one of the reasons why I think it's the most significant piece of sports memorabilia in the world. When it hits that new record, high tide raises all boats. I think more people are going to be interested in this hobby."

Ruth homered in the first inning of Game 3 of the Fall Classic to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. Returning to the plate with the score tied at 4-4 in the fifth inning, he pointed out toward the outfield midway through his at-bat.

The sequence took on a life of its own after the slugger took the next pitch from Charlie Root deep to center field.

Whether Ruth predicted his home run became a matter of debate, however.

In 2020, MLB.com's Chris Landers laid out the cases for both sides and concluded there may have been some truth to both narratives. Ruth, who was shown in a video clip to gesture with this right hand, may have been talking trash to the Cubs but didn't go so far as to specifically foreshadow a homer.

Either way, few baseball images have captured the imagination more, and the record-setting auction price for Ruth's jersey is a testament to its enduring legacy.