'Legendary Hitter' Babe Ruth's Glove Sold for 2 Billion Won

Ruth Gifts Jimmy Austin... Austin's Nephew Puts It Up for Auction
Previous Auction Glove Record Was 510 Million Won

Babe Ruth's glove sold for 2.02 billion won. Photo by Hunt Auction website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A baseball glove used by Babe Ruth, a legend of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States, was sold at auction for $1.53 million (about 2.02 billion KRW).

According to ESPN on the 13th (local time), at the 'Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Auction' held on the 12th, a Spalding baseball glove actually used by Babe Ruth in the Major Leagues from 1927 to 1933 was sold for $1.53 million (about 2.02 billion KRW). This is the highest price ever paid for a baseball glove at auction. The previous record was Lou Gehrig's glove, sold for $387,500 (about 510 million KRW) at a Sotheby's auction in 1999. Additionally, Jackie Robinson's glove, believed to have been used in the 1955-1956 World Series, was sold for about $373,000 (about 492.45 million KRW) in 2013.

Ruth gifted this glove to Jimmy Austin, the third baseman of the St. Louis Browns, and Austin's niece, Susan Kolokoff, who inherited the glove, put it up for auction this time. Kolokoff said, "My childhood memories with 'Uncle Jim' are very precious to me," adding, "The glove was kept in a box for the past 30 years until we heard an amazing audio recording." The audio recording Kolokoff heard contains Austin talking about the glove and the sound of him tapping it in 1964.

Hunt Auction, which conducted the auction, initially regarded this glove as a product from a vintage Babe Ruth store, but after verifying the provenance and authentication process (including a photo of Ruth with the same glove), they realized it was a much more valuable genuine Ruth glove. David Hunt, CEO of Hunt Auction, said, "This monumental glove is one of the most historic items ever offered at a public auction."

Ruth, whose real name was George Herman Ruth, is better known by his nickname "Babe." Originally, "Babe" carried a mocking meaning. He earned this nickname in February 1914 when he started his professional career in the minor leagues. Since he was new to professional baseball and followed the manager around like a country bumpkin, everyone called him "Babe" as a derogatory term meaning "kid" or "rookie."

However, the "kid" Ruth rose to become the leading home run hitter in the Major Leagues within just a few years. Starting his professional career with the Baltimore team, he played for the Boston Red Sox and then the New York Yankees. Standing 185 cm tall and weighing 95 kg, Ruth was a left-handed batter who won the American League home run title 12 times between 1918 and 1931 (except in 1922 and 1925). He also set the Major League record for most home runs for three consecutive years from 1919 to 1921. After hitting 29 home runs in 1919, he set the record with an astonishing 60 home runs in 1927. Over 22 seasons in the Major Leagues, Ruth hit a total of 714 home runs, a record that stood until Hank Aaron broke it in 1974. He passed away at the young age of 53 in 1948 due to throat cancer.