Ruth bat could bring more than $1 million in auction this winter
The Pittsburgh Pirates are likely to wait until July 31 to trade Kris Benson.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND -- The bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium more than 80 years ago is on display at a sports show and could be sold for more than $1 million this year.
The bat is among the memorabilia displayed at The National Sports Collectors Convention, which runs through Sunday.
The owner of the bat, SportsCards Plus, said in June that it planned to auction the bat. On Thursday, Sotheby's said it would handle the auction Dec. 2 in New York.
The only two other pieces of sports memorabilia to eclipse $1 million have been the Honus Wagner T-206 card and Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball. The sale possibly could exceed the original cost to build Yankee Stadium -- $2.5 million.
SportsCards Plus auction director Dan Imler said it's hard to put a price tag on a piece of history.
"Ruth was a man of mythic proportions. More than any other man, he transcended sports, achieving a nearly unrivaled status as an American icon," Imler said. "This bat, the ultimate tool of his trade, is the finest sports artifact we'll see in our lifetime."
The historic homer came in the third inning on April 18, 1923, against the Boston Red Sox before a crowd of 74,000, with nearly 25,000 more fans turned away.
"I'd give a year of my life if I could hit a home run in the first game in this new park," Ruth said before the game.
He lined a shot into the right-field bleachers, a three-run homer that led the Yankees to a 4-1 victory, prompting sports writer Fred Lieb to dub the new park, "The House That Ruth Built."
Other Ruth memorabilia set to be auctioned by Sotheby's in December include his will and a used baseball glove.
Late umpires
Three college umpires worked the start of the Phillies game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night in Philadelphia after poor weather forced major league umps to change their travel plans.
A plane from Cleveland carrying Joe West, Paul Emmel and Mike DiMuro was diverted to Baltimore because of rainy conditions in Philadelphia. Darren Spagnardi, traveling on his own, arrived on time, according to a Phillies spokesman.
The three umpires arrived at the ballpark in the first inning and took the field before the bottom of the second.
Benson update
The Pirates daily seem less and less likely to trade hot starter Kris Benson before the July 31 deadline.
The Phillies' best reported offer so far -- Double A first baseman Ryan Howard -- doesn't seem likely to get it done. Howard still has a hole in his swing and can play only one position.
Benson is a former No. 1 overall pick who might be pitching himself into No. 1 starter status.
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