1934 Goudey Premium (R309-1) George Herman "Babe" Ru (09/05/2008)...

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1934 Goudey Premium (R309-1) George Herman "Babe" Ruth

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1934 Goudey Premium (R309-1) George Herman "Babe" Ruth

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Sold Date: 09/05/2008
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Natural History

Babe Ruth is a mythical figure in baseball. Many consider him the greatest player to ever play the game. The Sultan of Swat redefined the game with power unseen before. His home run hitting prowess and charismatic personality made him a larger than life figure in the "Roaring Twenties." He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in one season (1927), a record which stood for 34 years. Ruth's lifetime total of 714 home runs at his retirement in 1935 was a record for 39 years. Although both records have since been surpassed, Ruth remains the greatest home run hitter of all time.

Ruth would have hit at least 100 more home runs had he not been a pitcher his first three full seasons in the major leauges. F or his career, he averaged a home run every 11.7 at bats. Hank Aaron, who finished his playing days with 755 home runs, homered every 16.7 trips to the plate. Bonds, boosted by steroids, doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with the Bambino and Hammerin' Hank. Even with artificiall enhancementd, Bonds still couldn't top Ruth, homering every 12.9 at bats.

Ruth hit 60 home runs in 154 games. Roger Maris didn't hit his 60th home run until his 159th game and then hit his 61st in his 162nd game. Of course, we all know how Bonds, McGwire and Sosa achieved their single-season totals. Yes, the Babe's records have fallen, but rather than diminish his accomplishments, the fact that it took the other players more games, more at bats or performance enhancing drugs to top him underscore his greatness.

Babe Ruth wasn't just a home run hitter, though. Unlike many power hitters, Ruth also hit for average: his .342 lifetime batting is tenth highest in baseball history, and in one season (1923) he hit .393, a Yankee record. His .690 career slugging percentage, and 1.164 career OPS , remain major league records.

Like the Babe, the Goudey Gum Company's story is riveted in American History. The invention of bubble gum served as the catalyst to bring together baseball picture cards with bubble gum. Goudey was the first company to bring baseball gum cards to the American marketplace. In 1933, the Sport Kings, the Goudey baseball set and the Indian Gum set "hit" the market. Not since the "T" cards of the early 1900s had t been such massive renewal of quality baseball cards. The Goudey cards were produced through a less than advanced silkscreen process causing subtle color variations. The printing of the cards was contracted out to an unknown printing company in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Smithsonian provided many of the portraits that appeared on the Indian Gum cards. These portraits originated from Classic Indian Studies housed at the Smithsonian.

In 1934, Goudey released a set of premium cards. Consisting of just four unnumbered cards, this limited edition set is called the "Premiums" and is designated R309-1 by collectors. Each card measures 5-1/2" x 8-13/16" and is accented with a gold, picture-frame border and an easel on the back. Unlike the regular Goudey cards, which were silkscreened, the Premiums consist of black-and-white photos printed on heavy cardboard.

The card being auctioned is an original Goudey Premium. It shows Babe Ruth in a classic pose rich in detail that cannot be fully appreciated with an online photograph. Holding the card in your hand, you can clearly see the Babe's sad eyes and heavy cheeks. You can also count the eyelets on his right shoe, see the fold in his white sock just above it and make out the pattern of his stirrup stockings.

If you want an original card of the greatest baseball player ever from a very limited edition set, I encourage you to bid and wish you luck if you do. The auction starts off at $.99, although t is a reserve. You can bid with confidence when dealing with me. I have a 100% positive rating and I'm quite proud of it.

If you are fortunate to be the winning bidder, I will accept Paypal, cashier check or money order. I will also accept your personal check with ...