(LOT 25)
Amazing "Bain" 1915 Babe Ruth Rookie Red Sox Photo w/Boston Pitching Staff – Measure's Approx. 4-1/2" x 6-1/2" - Full PSA Type I LOA
Over the past several months, Babe Ruth's 1916 rookie card has captured the hearts of a seemingly countless number of advanced hobbyists with its desirability and value skyrocketing to a level that knows no boundaries. 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 tsunami. One of those highly sought after keepsakes just happens to be presented here, a magnificent 1915 Ruth Rookie photo portraying the "Babe" with the other four members of the illustrious Red Sox pitching staff from that championship season! 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 stamp affixed to the verso.

This extraordinary heirloom from Ruth's 1915 rookie season vividly portrays the five Red Sox prominent hurlers including (from left to right) Foster, Mays, Shore, Ruth and Leonard. 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 unparalleled 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 4-1/2" x 6-1/2", this extraordinary sepia-toned photo depicts virtually perfect contrast and crystal clear clarity, with the five Red Sox hurlers' names listed along the upper edge in the typical "Bain" bold white text (Foster - Mays – Shore - Ruth –Leonard). Second from the right, the immortal George Herman Ruth almost appears to be gazing into a "soon to be" glorious future that would eventually lead to the "Babe" being the irrefutable greatest player to ever grace a baseball diamond! Modest corner wear provides a uniform eye pleasing touch, and the only noticeable surface blemish is a diminutive upper left corner diagonal crease. 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 Ruth Red Sox photos are realizing stratospheric pricing with a recent 1918 Charles Conlon photo fetching $31K in our Spring auction! 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 this Cooperstown worthy marvel anxiously awaiting a new home in one of the finest Ruth or photo gatherings on the planet! - Full PSA Type I LOA

MIN BID $3,000