Babe Ruth's 500th-HR Bat Could Sell for Record $1.265M+ at Auction

The bat used by Babe Ruth to hit career home run No. 500 could soon make more history.

On Aug. 11, 1929, the Sultan of Swat became the first player to hit 500 home runs as he took Cleveland pitcher Willis Hudlin deep over the right field wall at League Park in Cleveland. According to the Plain Dealer's Gordon Cobbledick (h/t SABR's Chad Osborne), Ruth predicted he would hit the milestone home run that day and asked that he get the ball back as a keepsake item.

Per USA Today's Scott Boeck, Ruth held on to the bat as well before giving it to a friend in the 1940s. It has since been stored in a closet.

Now, it's up for grabs.

Starting Thursday, the bat will be open to bids during an auction conducted by SCP Auctions. Early expectations are that the bidding will easily exceed seven figures. In 2004, the 46-ounce Louisville Slugger the Hall of Famer used to hit the first homer in Yankee Stadium history in 1923 sold for a record $1.265 million.

"We're estimating this at a million and up just to be conservative," SCP Auctions President David Kohler told Reuters, per Boeck. "We think it will surpass the other bat. This 500 bat is kind of the brother to it."

Boeck noted Ruth is responsible for nine of the 20 highest-priced sports memorabilia items.

Ruth finished his career with 714 home runs, a record that stood until 1974. The Great Bambino ranks third all-time on the home-run leaderboard behind Barry Bonds (762) and Hank Aaron (755).