NEW YORK-A Babe Ruth road jersey dating to 1928-30 has sold at auction for $5.6 million.
Hunt Auctions, which handled Saturday's sale, says the price breaks a record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold. A Ruth jersey from 1920 previously sold for $4.4 million.
The more than 400 pierces of Ruth memorabilia at auction were supplied by the late Hall of Famer's family and a few other collectors.
"For many years, we cherished the items within his personal collection and have been blessed to represent his legacy through our many family endeavors," said Linda Ruth Tosetti, granddaughter of Babe Ruth. "The decision to share items from his personal collection was made with careful consideration and the intent to further his legacy within a new generation of baseball fans. Babe's collection has remained largely unknown to the general public, and we felt it was time to bring these amazing pieces of his life to light. There could be no other place to showcase these items than Yankee Stadium, and we are also thrilled to be able to benefit related charitable entities through the sale of these items."
Ruth hit a then-record 714 career home runs from 1914 to 1935, including a single-season record 60 in 1927. He played 22 seasons, mainly with the Boston Red Sox and Yankees.
The auction was conducted at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees jersey was part of a collection of items that Ruth's family put up for sale. Tosetti says in a statement that a portion of the proceeds will go to charity.