Lot # 243: Extraordinary 1915 Babe Ruth Rookie Type 1 Photo Incl. Ernie Shore & Dutch Leonard - Underwood & Underwood – Measures Approx. 3-3/4” x 5-1/2” - PSA Type I Encapsulation

Category: Photos

Starting Bid: $5,000.00

Bids: 18 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring 2021 Rarities Auction",
which ran from 2/27/2021 10:00 AM to
3/20/2021 7:00 PM




(LOT 243)
Extraordinary 1915 Babe Ruth Rookie Type 1 Photo Incl. Ernie Shore & Dutch Leonard - Underwood & Underwood – Measures Approx. 3-3/4" x 5-1/2" - PSA Type I Encapsulation

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. Justifying this notion is a "small" Type I 1915 photo of Ruth with four other Red Sox pitchers that recently sold for nearly $40K, with the most advanced enthusiasts actively seeking any Babe Ruth artifact from his earliest Red Sox playing days. Indeed, the floodgates have opened with regard to Babe Ruth "Rookie Era" collectibles, with the values of these iconic heirlooms rising like an uncontrollable brush fire.

We at Memory Lane are proud to present an absolutely extraordinary Babe Ruth "Rookie" relic from his first full 1915 season, a magnificent Underwood & Underwood Type I photo depicting "The Babe" (in the middle) along with two of his fellow Boston pitchers, Ernie Shore (on the far left) and Dutch Leonard (on the far right). All three players are portrayed in stoic standing positions, donning their period style Red Sox uniforms. Measuring approximately 3-3/4" x 5-1/2", this extraordinary Underwood & Underwood heirloom from Ruth's 1915 rookie season was taken near the end of that championship 1915 season, with the verso including a pencil notation that reads "10-7-1915" (the last day of the regular season).

Having already captured 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 rookie-era 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 "larger than life" stature among hobbyists stands second to none, 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).

Regarding its condition, this superb sepia-toned photo depicts near-perfect clarity and fine contrast that mildly favors a darker tone. Standing between his two fellow teammates, you can literally feel Ruth gazing into an unknown future with serious apprehension, not realizing he would eventually become the greatest player to ever grace a baseball diamond. While no glaring blemishes are apparent, there are a few stray wrinkles, some negligible surface "cracking" along the lower region, and a few manual edge trims, none of which impeding on the awe-inspiring central image.

The verso includes the aforementioned pencil notation, a modest piece of tape along the lower border and the critical Underwood & Underwood credit stamp. However, as most hobby purists would agree, the most prevalent issue is the virtually unscathed Babe Ruth obverse side 1915 image that has somehow managed to defy a century of potential wear. To reiterate, 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 irrefutable 1915 Type I Rookie photo that carries infinite-like pricing potential!

MIN BID $5,000
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