(LOT 609)
Extraordinary c.1910's Babe Ruth Boston Red Sox Underwood & Underwood Pitching Photo – Measures Approx. 4" x 5" - PSA Type 1 Encapsulation
The most esteemed Babe Ruth enthusiasts most prized collectibles include pre-1920 artifacts from his illustrious playing days with the Boston Red Sox. Whether it is his heralded rookie card, early signatures, game used items or original photos, these time-defying treasures literally "turn back the clock", transcending us back to an era when the "Bambino" turned the baseball world upside down via his unfathomable batting achievements. Advanced enthusiasts clearly understand that his Red Sox relics are few and far between, justifying why this original PSA Type 1 Ruth Underwood & Underwood pitching photo suffices as an extraordinary find! Authenticated as a circa 1910's Type 1 photo by the prestigious PSA Company, we cannot image a more classic Ruth pitching pose as the Bambino loosens up on the sidelines.

Since PSA cannot pinpoint an exact year, we cannot label this as an irrefutable "rookie" image, but most significantly, it represents a seldom surfacing Babe Ruth photo with his inaugural Boston club that could possibly stem from his rookie era. Ruth's pitching prowess would have arguably led to his induction into Cooperstown as a southpaw hurler, for he was surely baseball's finest left-handed twirler during his 5-year Boston stint. In his six-year Boston stint, he would win 91 games to the tune of a stellar 2.19 E.R.A., leading the Red Sox to 3 World Championships while setting a record of hurling 29+ consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play (since then broken in 1961 by Hall of Famer Whitey Ford). Showing glimpses of supernatural power, it wasn't until 1918 that the Red Sox realized they needed to insert Ruth into the lineup on days when he wasn't pitching.

That year, the Red Sox began reducing his pitching duties (he won only 13 games in a mere 20 appearances), playing the "Babe" in 95 games with Ruth walloping 11 round trippers. This trend would continue in 1919 whereby Ruth clouted a record 29 home runs, knocked in 113 runs and batted a formidable .322 in 130 games; his final Boston season before his world-renowned sale to the rival New York Yankees that rocked the baseball community. Measuring approximately 4" x 5", the highlight of this timeless treasure is Ruth's classic throwing image with the "Bambino" donning his period style Red Sox uniform. Emanating awe-inspiring eye appeal, the sepia-toned image portrays crystal clear clarity, and you can literally feel the incomparable presence of the Babe from his early days with the Red Sox club.

Save the two lower corner chips, the overall eye appeal of this hallowed image is absolutely superb, stubbornly defying "Father-Time" for the past century. No glaring flaws impede the mesmerizing central image, with only a few stray wrinkles rendered virtually negligible versus its stellar aesthetics. The verso reveals the critical Underwood & Underwood blue credit stamp as well as some minor pencil notations. Momentous to say the least, it is no secret that Babe Ruth Red Sox Type 1 photos are now realizing $50,000++ price tags, with no end in sight to this seemingly infinite pricing surge. No wonder this seemingly "timeless" and ultra-rare "Sultan of Swat" Boston Type 1 photo reigns supreme as one of Ruth's most significant pre-1920 mementos, and a bona-fide keepsake dating us back to the earliest origins of the greatest player who ever graced a baseball diamond!

MIN BID $5,000
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