Babe Ruth Purchase Agreement Bought at Auction for $99,000

A Rhode Island philanthropist paid $99,000 Saturday for the historic 1920 sale agreement that sent Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees.

“It’s the most famous document in sports history,” Alan Feinstein of Cranston, R.I., said after his purchase. “I was prepared to bid this high. There was a lot of action, but I wanted this document.”

Feinstein said he plans to resell the agreement and donate the money to charity.

Feinstein is a long-time Red Sox fan and is well acquainted with the bad fortune which has dogged his team since selling Ruth.

“I am very familiar with the curse of the Bambino,” Feinstein said.

A uniform belonging to Ruth’s teammate, Lou Gehrig, sold for $110,000, spokesman Michael Puzzo of Leland’s auction house said. The Yankees’ Hall of Fame first baseman wore the uniform during a 1931 tour of Japan.

A Rolls-Royce once owned by Pete Rose sold for $44,000--above the pre-sale estimate of $35,000 for the Silver Wraith model, Puzzo said. The car was put on the block by Rose’s ex-wife Karolyn.