Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia

SI Staff | Feb 7, 2013

Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia

Babe Ruth Jersey (circa 1920)

General Photographic Agency/Getty Images

A baseball jersey worn by The Bambino sold for more than $4.4 million on May 20, 2012, a record for any item of sports memorabilia, according to the buyer and seller. SCP Auctions, based in California, said the circa 1920 New York Yankees uniform top is the earliest known jersey worn by Ruth. Here are some of the other most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold, mostly from America's pasttime and a lot of which pertains to the Babe. (Send comments to siwriters@simail.com)

James Naismith's Founding Rules of Basketball (1891)

Bebeto Matthews/AP

Mark McGwire's 70th Home Run Ball (1998)

David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated

Honus Wagner 1909 Baseball Card

Kathy Willens/AP

Soccer Rules Book (circa 1859)

AP

Paul Henderson 1972 Summit Series Jersey

Melchior DiGiacomo/Getty Images; Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images; Virginie Salmen/AFP/Getty Images

Babe Ruth Bat from First Home Run at Yankee Stadium (1923)

Bettmann/CORBIS; Shelly Castellano/Icon SMI

Muhammad Ali's Boxing Gloves from 1965 Fight Against Floyd Patterson

Neil Leifer/SI

Babe Ruth 1919 Yankees Contract with Red Sox

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Babe Ruth 1932 "Called Shot" Jersey

AP

1896 Football Association Cup Trophy

Bob Thomas/Popperfoto/Getty Images; Handout

Babe Ruth 1933 All-Star Game Home Run Ball

Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Babe Ruth 1934 World Tour Jersey

AP

Barry Bonds 756th Home Run Ball (2007)

Brad Mangin/SI; Richard Drew/AP

Babe Ruth 1933 All-Star Game Jersey

Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Hank Aaron 755th Home Run Ball (1976)

Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images

1924-28 Babe Ruth Bat

Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images

Shoeless Joe Jackson "Black Betsy" Bat

AP

Kirk Gibson 1988 World Series Game 1 Home Run Bat

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

1954 Hank Aaron Rookie Card

Babe Ruth 1918 World Series Bat

Charles Conlan/Sporting News/Icon SMI

David Wells' 1934 Babe Ruth Cap

John Dunn/AP

Barry Bonds 73rd Home Run Ball (2001)

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI; Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Babe Ruth 1914 Baseball Card

Patrick Semansky/AP

Lou Gehrig 1939 "Farewell Speech" Uniform

UPI/Bettmann/Corbis; Handout

1955 Roberto Clemente Rookie Card

Bill Buckner Baseball from 1986 World Series Game 6

AP

Mickey Mantle 1968 Autographed Jersey

AP

Joe DiMaggio 1941 Bat (used during 56-game hitting streak)

AP

Bobby Jones 1937 Augusta National Jacket

AP