On Sunday May 4, 1930 the Chicago White Sox took the field at Yankee Stadium for the rubber match of their three game stand against the Yanks. The Sox, which at the time boasted a heavy hitting line up, pounded the New Yorkers 10-1. In the Saturday game the Yanks beat back a ninth inning Chicago rally to win 5-3. Curiously, no home runs came off the Yankees bats all weekend, which meant that with guys like Ruth, Gehrig, Dickey and Lazzeri, the odds were something was bound to happen that Sunday – and it did.

     Tommy Thomas, the White Sox’s ace, started for Chicago and Ed Wells got the nod for the Yanks. Both men kept the game scoreless for the first two innings and then the Yankees got to Thomas, tagging him for 2 runs in the third and then another pair in the seventh. Wells kept the Sox scoreless until he tired out in the seventh. He gave up two runs before he got out of the inning but managed only two outs before giving way George Pipgrass. However Chicago got two men across to make the score 5-4 Yankees. The old veteran Ed Walsh took the mound for the White Sox. With one on, Ruth hit a tremendous home run, of which the newspapers remarked that the crowd knew as soon as it was struck that it was a home run. That was number three of what would eventually be 49 of Ruth’s home runs that year, the 519th of his career.

     This is the ball Ruth hit into the stands that Sunday in 1930. The Reach Ernest Barnard Official American League ball features the distinctive red and blue stitching. Babe Ruth has signed the ball just above Barnard’s facsimile signature in bold black fountain pen (7/10). Ruth’s teammate and fellow slugger Lou Gehrig has also signed the ball on the panel above Babe’s in black fountain pen (7/10). A previous owner marked the date the ball was obtained “5/4 – 1930” in bold black ink. The ball’s surface has taken on a warm golden patina with age and the signatures remain bold and sharp. While any Official American league ball that features both Babe and Lou’s signatures is something special, this ball stands out not only for its attractive display quality but for the significant date it represents, one in which Babe Ruth did what he did best – hit a home run. Also comes with a letter from the grandson of the man who attended the game and caught the ball. The item has been in family possession for 85 years. Full LOA from JSA and from MEARS.

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