(LOT 672)
1932 Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig Posing w/the Minor Leagues "Babe Ruth" – Associated Press Type 1 Photo – Measures Approx. 6-1/2" x 7-1/2" - PSA Type 1 Encapsulation
Any photo portraying the immortal Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig surely speaks for itself. These two baseball giants formed the most devasting "one-two" batting punch in baseball history, terrorizing pitchers for a decade while leading the Yankees to three world championships from 1925 – 1934. Yet, amazing as it may seem, the focal point of this extremely "unique-like" 1932 illustration is not Ruth and Gehrig but the rather large ballplayer standing between them named Russell Lorit "Buzz" Arlett. Indeed, this Goliath-sized player of German descent appropriately earned the nickname 'The Babe Ruth of the Minor Leagues" via his unfathomable 19-year performance in the minors including 432 home runs, 1,786 R.B.I.'s and a stellar .341 lifetime average! His only major league season was in 1932 when he actually posted superb numbers including 18 dingers, 72 R.B.I.'s and a .313 batting average.

Unfortunately for the 6' 4" Arlett, he could not control his weight, leading to the rather clumsy outfielder being a colossal liability in the field. It is for this major reason that 1931 would be his only MLB season, with no major league club willing to take on the risk of his extremely poor defensive prowess. To this day, many historians consider Buzz Arlett the greatest minor league player ever and ironically, synonymous with Ruth, he began his career as a formidable pitcher, winning 108 minor league games before trading in his curveball for his devasting lumber. This 6-1/2" x 7-1/2" photo portrays the super-sized Arlett standing between Gehrig and Ruth, as the Bambino reveals his classic batting grip for the 33- year old minor-league slugger. The borderless image exhibits a somewhat bright contrast, and other than some negligible faint wrinkles, we cannot detect any glaring surface flaws on the obverse side.

The verso includes the significant Associated Press credit stamp, a July 7, 1932 ink stamp and other notations including the names of Ruth, Gehrig and Arlett names. Additional irony is Arlett would enjoy his greatest season ever in 1932, clouting 54 home runs for the International league Orioles, including two games in which he belted four round-trippers. As we all know, the 1932 campaign would see Ruth and Gehrig lead the Yankees back to the World Series, with their four-game sweep of the overmatched Cubs highlighted by the Bambino's iconic "Called Shot" that turned the baseball world upside down. Safe to say, 1932 was certainly a year for BOTH the Major and Minor League "Babe Ruth's", with this ultra-scarcity the only image we have ever seen depicting these two baseball giants!

MIN BID $300
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