Jackie Robinson & Babe Ruth Signed Baseball, with Additional Signatures

When Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the Major Leagues in 1947, baseball legend Babe Ruth was nearing the end of his life. Ruth passed away in 1948, the year after Robinson won the Rookie of the Year award (1947), and the year before Robinson's recognition as the National League’s Most Valuable Player (1949). 

This ball, signed by both Robinson and Ruth, serves as a representation of baseball history and two players who left an indelible mark on the sport. 

Sotheby’s received the following description of provenance from the consignor, which has been corrected to accommodate for grammar and minor spelling issues. Sotheby's has redacted names that it does not have permission to use.

My Dad, Mother, and I were living in Ft. Thomas, Ky from 1944 to 1951 as my Dad worked in Cincinnati across the river. His secretary's sister worked for a large sporting goods store in Cincinnati where my Dad had bought me bats, a ball, etc., throughout the years, and she called him to let him know Babe Ruth was in her store signing baseballs and did he want one for me?  I was in school, thus my Dad went and got Babe Ruth to sign a ball for me. On September 16, 1947, a neighbor took me to see the Cincinnati Reds play the Brooklyn Dodgers. He wanted me to get some autographs and asked me to take a baseball and mother's fountain pen. The only "clean" baseball I had was the one with Babe Ruth's signature. To get ahead of the crowd, we left the game before it was over in the 9th inning and went underneath the stadium where the players would come off the field once the game was over. Jackie Robinson, being the first Black player in Major League Baseball was under constant threat and left the field the minute the game was over. Thus he was the first to sign the baseball for me. Everyone else followed him off the field.

This ball is accompanied by a letter from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signatures. 

Going Deeper | Jackie Robinson

When Jackie Robinson entered the big leagues in 1947, it was not without opposition. To say Mr. Robinson was brave would be an incredible understatement. 

Playing through a barrage of slurs and even death threats, Robinson silenced angry crowds, earning the league’s inaugural Rookie of the Year award in 1947. Batting an average of .297 with 12 Home Runs and 48 RBIs in that season, Robinson also made it to the World Series.

Robinson’s influence on the game was vast and nearly instant. From the time of his 1947 debut to the year the last MLB team integrated (1959), African American players had won nine Most Valuable Player awards, nine Rookie of the Year awards, five home run titles, four batting titles, and a Cy Young award. 

Throughout his 10-year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson was a six-time All-Star (1949-1954) and was named the National League MVP in 1949. That season, Robinson led the MLB in batting average (.342), stolen bases (37), and a career-high 124 RBIs 

In 1955, Robinson led the Brooklyn Dodgers to the franchise’s first World Series title. He retired after the 1956 season.

On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball universally retired Jackie Robinson’s number 42 across all franchises. Jackie Robinson Day was established in 2004, and by 2009, every player, coach, and umpire wore the number 42 on that day.

Going Deeper | Babe Ruth

“It wasn’t that he hit more home runs than anybody else, he hit them better, higher, farther, with more theatrical timing and a more flamboyant flourish.” - Red Smith

Ruth became a permanent fixture in Major League Baseball in 1915 with the Boston Red Sox. A dynamic player, Ruth came into the league as a pitcher and spent his first few seasons primarily on the mound. Though he helped the Red Sox secure back-to-back World Series titles in 1915 and 1916, by 1918 Ruth’s prowess at the plate became impossible to ignore.

In 1919, his final year with Boston, Ruth set the single-season home run record with 29. After the season, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee controversially sold Ruth’s contract to the New York Yankees. 

The trade would prove to be among the most influential in sports history. The fallout caused by the trade would come to be known as ‘The Curse of the Bambino.’ Between 1919-2003, the Yankees won 26 World Series championships to Boston’s zero.  

In his first years with the Yankees, Ruth’s numbers were staggering. He finished the 1920 season with 54 home runs, 135 RBIs, and 158 runs. In 1921, he topped those numbers, finishing the season with 59 home runs, 168 RBIs, and 177 runs scored.

During his 15 years in New York, Ruth was dominant and led the New York Yankees to seven American League Pennants and four World Series titles. Ruth also led the American League in home runs 12 times, including a record-setting 60 home runs in 1927 - a record that would stand for 34 years. 

Ruth retired in 1935, ending his 22-year career with a then-record 714 home runs. His career stats included 2,873 hits, 506 doubles, 2,174 runs, 2,214 RBIs, a .342 batting average, a .474 on-base percentage, and a .690 slugging percentage.