(LOT 9)
Incredible "Bain" Type I 1915 Babe Ruth Rookie Red Sox Photo – Measures Approx. 5" x 7" - Full PSA Type I LOA
It is no secret that early Babe Ruth Red Sox artifacts are currently realizing staggering price tags, spearheaded by his highly coveted 1916 rookie card that seemingly knows no boundaries with regard to its ultimate value. In fact, justifying this notion is a "small" Type I 1915 photo of Ruth with four other Red Sox pitchers that recently sold for an imposing $15K+ in our summer auction. Simply stated, the most advanced enthusiasts are actively seeking any Babe Ruth artifact from his earliest Red Sox playing days, with the values of these respective collectibles rising like an uncontrollable brush fire.

We at Memory Lane are proud to present another absolutely extraordinary Babe Ruth "Rookie" relic from his first full 1915 season, a magnificent George Grantham Bain Type I photo depicted "The Babe" ALONE in a classic sitting position as he dons his period style Red Sox uniform. Even more significant is that this PSA Type I original image was taken by none other than the iconic photographer George Grantham Bain, with his trademark "Bain News Service" stamp affixed to the verso. This extraordinary heirloom from Ruth's 1915 rookie season vividly portrays the iconic "Bambino" in a stoic pose as he appears to be pondering the unparalleled future he is about to embark on.

Having already capturing two world titles in 1903 and 1912, Boston would eventually claim their third World Championship in 1915 by besting the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. Ironically, although Ruth would win 18 games and post a stellar 2.44 E.R.A. during his first full season in 1915, he did not throw a single pitch in the World Series. Unfortunately for Ruth, the dominating pitching trio of Rube Foster, Dutch Leonard and Ernie Shore were more than enough to capture the World Series, with Ruth's sole appearance being a negligible pinch-hitting role. Interestingly enough, it would be Jack Dunn's financial related issues that would eventually lead to Ruth being sold to the Boston Red Sox on July 4, 1915 along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan. The Baltimore Orioles International League owner, Dunn simply could not compete with the new Federal League Baltimore Terrapins club, attendance dropped and Dunn was forced to sell off his premier players.

History was now in the making with the iconic Babe Ruth now set to etch his unequivocal mark in baseball history. When you carefully consider the seemingly "faith driven" stepping stones resulting in Ruth's ultimate rise to Major League stardom, it soundly justifies why his early Boston Red Sox mementos fetch staggering price tags within the memorabilia circuit. The overall mystique of the "Sultan of Swat" still remains unprecedented; not only in America, but worldwide for it was Babe's lifetime achievements both on and off a baseball diamond that will echo for eternity. His status among hobbyists is supreme, and long before Ruth started testing the dimensions of a baseball diamond at an alarming rate in Yankee pinstripes, he was winning a myriad of games with the Boston Red Sox and widely regarded as the finest southpaw of his time. In fact, as Boston's pitching ace for 5 seasons, he led the Red Sox to 3 World Championships and set a record of hurling 29+ consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play (since then broken in 1961 by Hall of Famer Whitey Ford).

Measuring approximately 5" x 7" (large dimensions for a Bain photo with a majority of his images measuring in the 3x5 to 4x6 range), this sensational sepia-toned photo depicts near-perfect contrast and remarkable resolution, with the standard Bain white "Ruth" text situated near the upper edge. You can literally feel Ruth gazing into an unknown future with serious apprehension, not realizing he would eventually become the irrefutable greatest player to ever grace a baseball diamond. Condition issues include several creases near the upper quadrants, a lower right corner chip and surface chipping along the upper left edge. However, as most hobby purists would agree, the most prevalent issue is the virtually unscathed Babe Ruth central image that has somehow managed to defy a century of potential wear.

The verso reveals the critical "Bain News Service' violet hued stamp, the unquestionable criteria for this being an original Type I image (full PSA Type I LOA is included). It is no secret that Babe Ruth Red Sox photos are realizing stratospheric pricing with a recent 1918 Charles Conlon photo fetching $31K and the aforementioned smaller Red Sox 1915 pitching staff image realizing $15K in our Spring and Summer auctions, respectively. Comparatively speaking, a lesser sized photo depicting Ruth with four other Red Sox players cannot even remotely compare to a larger 1915 rookie isolated Ruth image that SOLELY monopolizes a majority of the illustration. Bottom line is any collectible from Babe Ruth's early Boston Red Sox playing days carries an incredible aura cherished by the hobby's most esteemed collectors, let alone one that is an undeniable 1915 Type I Rookie photo. Pre-dating even his legendary 1916 M101 Rookie Card, it serves as a transient link to the "Babe's" earliest major league origins, with its infinite-like value escalation knowing no limits! - Full PSA Type I LOA

MIN BID $3000

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