When the Louisville Slugger used by legendary baller Babe Ruth to hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium in 1923 went up for auction, some feared that the winner might destroy it—either to end the dreaded “Curse of the Bambino” and allow the Red Sox victory in that year’s World Series or to sell pieces of it for profit. Instead, it became the most expensive baseball bat in the world as it sold for $1.3 million.
The bat, which left Ruth’s hands as a prize for a Los Angeles high school batting champion, features an autograph and dedication “To the Boy Home Run King of Los Angeles” and a brass plate that reads “Presented to Victor Orsatti at Manual Arts H.S. by the Los Angeles Evening Herald.” The 46-ounce bat’s model number, 148, is still visible amidst the lathe marks.
During his career, Ruth hit 714 home runs. His mythic batting prowess paid for the original Yankee Stadium—earning it the monicker “The House that Ruth Built”—and filled the 58,000-seat stadium with at least 60,000 fans in its first game, when the Yankees played against the Red Sox.
Speaking of the Red Sox, the Curse of the Bambino was lifted the year of the auction when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the 2004 World Series.
