Babe Ruth’s called-shot jersey, the ‘Mona Lisa,’ fetches record $24 million
wapoAUG 2024
Babe Ruth's 1932 Yankee Jersey Sells for Record-Breaking $24M
Above: American baseball player George Herman Ruth (1895 - 1948), known as 'Babe' Ruth. Image copyright: MPI/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
While debate continues about the "called shot" incident, video footage of the play supports the theory that Ruth pointed to where he intended on hitting the ball before sending it in that direction. Ruth himself also said that's what took place in commentary after the incident.
Narrative B
Contemporaneous accounts of what took place that day indicate that Ruth held up two fingers at the Cubs bench to indicate there had only been two strikes. The legend that surrounds this incident is nothing more than an attempt to embellish.