Yes, Babe Ruth was a Dodger. No, he never played a game on the field for us, but he was known to participate in pregame batting practice exhibitions for fans. He would slam home runs to the delight of early arriving fans. During games he would man first base as a coach in hopes of one day earning a spot as a skipper for the club. Unfortunately, team management saw him as more of a sideshow attraction to get the fans through the turnstiles. Below is a Sporting News Archives vintage press photo of Babe directing at 1st base.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Legendary Auctions: Jackie Robinson Doll
I've written about this item before, here, but I thought it was worth featuring again. Why, you ask? Well, first of all, this is probably one of the more rare Jackie Robinson memorabilia items out here. On top of that, when the time is right, and when I have the funds available, I plan to add one of these to my own personal collection. An added bonus, something I don't expect to be able to find when I am ready to buy, is that this vintage Jackie doll comes with the original box and other goodies. I have seen the small box that the doll was put into, but this is the first time I have seen the entire package that includes a cardboard Baseball diamond that would act as a display stand for the doll, a tag that hangs from the dolls right arm, the Dodger jacket that goes over the uniform, and mini bat.It sold for a reasonable $956.00. I know that sounds like a lot, but I recall only the doll and smaller box selling at the Halper Collection auction over 10 years ago for $1,380.00. Heck, there is one on eBay right now for $1,250.00 that also only includes the doll and smaller box.
