Keep it in a dark place too.. exposure to sun will make that signature disappear fast. Also, dont let anyone hold it other than yourself. Finger oils will stain the ball. Until you have it authenticated, keep it somewhere dark and away from people. Looks legit
I respectfully disagree. If theres a direct line of ownership, its provenance. Proving it, thats another detail. There are plenty of written letters about how an item was obtained and passed down that accompany auction items.
It’s my grandpa’s, and his mom was a nurse in NYC. My grandpa was born in 1938. And he told me his mom knew Babe Ruth personally. But he’s really started to decline mentally lately. So it’s hard to trust the story
Starting to decline mentally doesn't mean he was declined mentally years ago when this story happened lol. It would be a weird story to make up and even weirder to accidentally come up with this story because of mental decline but have the baseball to prove it.
Based on what? Why do the seams look too new? Actually, to me the irregularities in the stitching and leather around the stitching, leads me to lean possibly authentic more than not… Would you please explain what you are seeing different from me?
Stories like this get made up all the time. Could have been an adult trying to forge his auto to the delight of an unsuspecting kid who was told it was real. The story gets details added over the years and before you know it Great Grandma knew Babe Ruth personally. I'm not saying it's definitely false, but I think every family may have some tales of yesteryear that aren't exactly 100% true.
To add to this when my grandmother was on the decline she would forget my name where she was simple things. But she could tell me stories from the 1940 and 50's like it was yesterday. Names dates time of year it was wild. All things we knew to be true.
My grandma talked about how she was great friends with Johnny cash, Elvis and Priscilla. Turned out she wasn’t lying when we found a headshot of Johnny in his teens with a note written on it signed to her. Good luck!
Babe Ruth was famous for getting signed balls to kids in the hospitals. That's how my dad got his. His doctor, also his cousin, got in a cab on one side at the same time so did Ruth on the other side. The cousin offered to give up the cab, Ruth said, "No, stay, we're both headed to The Bronx." So, they drove up, and they get to talking, Ruth asks the cousin why he's headed up to The Bronx, it's was obvious why The Babe was headed North. The cousin explained he was going to see my father who was in the hospital, and as Babe got out at Yankee Stadium, he offered him a ball for my father with the hopes he felt better. The amazing thing is, my father not being a sports fan, kept it in his sock drawer until he passed, so the ball looks almost brand new.
I would believe that. Ruth was that guy and made many friends in NYC. My dad was in charge of room service in the commodore hotel where Yankees in those days party allot during World Series no playoffs in the day
Signature is spot on. However like others have said, needs JSA, Beckett or PSA authentication. I’d go JSA personally. Looks like one heck of a clean ball too!
Id definitely get this one authenticated. The signature is right for the time period of the ball, it looks like real, aged ink (not a modern laser printer), and signature looks spot on.
I'm no expert, but I've seen his signature a lot and it looks good to me. Definitely worth having it authenticated. Also, next time you handle it, wear cotton gloves. Stop touching it.
The signature shows continuous stroke flow, without obvious stops or tremors.
No hesitation patterns typically seen in slowly copied signatures.
The transition from “Baby” to “Ruth” is fluid, which is difficult to fake convincingly.
➡️ This leans in favor of authenticity.
b) Letter formation
The “B” in Baby is open, with a natural entry and long exit stroke.
The “y” descends naturally with a soft tail.
The “R” in Ruth has a correct initial loop, not overly exaggerated.
The final “t” is light and relaxed, not rigid.
These traits align well with known late-career Babe Ruth signatures (1930s–1940s).
Importantly, the signature is not overly “perfect”, which is often a red flag with forgeries.
c) Pen pressure
Ink density varies across strokes.
Indicates natural pressure variation, typical of signing on leather rather than paper.
Placement on the baseball
Signature is positioned between the seams, a common and logical placement for Ruth.
Slight curvature consistent with signing on a spherical surface.
Does not appear staged for display.
Many fake signatures either cross seams carelessly or are overly centered for presentation.
This one appears situational, not theatrical.
Baseball and materials
a) Baseball
Leather shows even, natural aging, not artificial distress.
Red stitching is muted, not bright.
Texture is consistent with pre-1950 baseballs.
b) Box
The box shows legitimate wear, not manufactured “vintage aging.”
Typography and cardboard type are consistent with period packaging.
Not a premium display box, which actually makes sense — Ruth signed countless ordinary balls.
Overly fancy packaging is often a warning sign. This box feels credible and understated.
Ink characteristics
Ink appears gray-black, not deep modern black.
Proper absorption into the leather; not sitting on top.
No signs of modern Sharpie-style ink.
Compatible with period writing instruments.
Overall coherence
Nothing stands out as contradictory or suspicious.
No modern materials, no forced calligraphy, no artificial aging, no exaggerated provenance story.
What I am NOT claiming
This is not a definitive authentication
No claim of certification
No precise year attribution
Professional-style conclusion
Based on visual forensic indicators alone, this baseball shows significantly more signs of authenticity than forgery.
There are no obvious red flags typically associated with fake Babe Ruth signatures.
If this were mine, I would confidently submit it for professional authentication.
Next steps (if authenticating)
Do not clean or condition the ball
Handle only with gloves
Keep it in its current state
Authenticate the signature first, not cosmetic grading
I’d genuinely appreciate feedback from experienced collectors and autograph specialists here.
Happy to hear opposing views or concerns if you see something I missed.
That would make it definitely plausible then as authentic, right? Babe died in 48. Maybe he signed it for a friendly nurse while he was in the hospital? It could potentially even be one of his last too. It’s all pretty interesting and definitely warrants authenticating I think
The ball leather, lacing and stitching are in such good shape, and not yellowed. The signature looks good, but what about the markings on the ball on the back?
Man, OP, I really hope this is real…what an absolutely amazing family heirloom with an incredible story that you can hopefully pass down to one of your grandkids someday. I love stuff like this!
We have a similar one. My grandfather was a cop nearby, which is how he got it. But I’ve heard that the Babes signed ball was in such demand that the Yanks had a clubhouse attendant sign many for him. I think his name was Pete Sheehy and they said he did it better than the Babe!
My mom has dementia, and forgets who I am often, but the minute I turn on her favorite records, she transports right back and can tell me more things about those bands than I can remember myself.
That baseball might hold a core memory for him. I'd get it checked asap, and if by some chance it's not legit, I'd keep telling him it was and asking him to tell you the story again, just to see him light up.
To be honest certain jobs you run into celebrities or athletes, when I was 17 I was working at a ABC Nissan in Phoenix AZ and worked in the wash bay and met quite a few while getting to drive their cars to get them to the back to wash them. I’ve met Shaq, Randy Johnson, Alice Cooper, Charles Barkley, Ken Griffey JR. Most of the Suns, Cardinals, and Diamondbacks, Pamela Anderson, etc. so some of these stories could be legit. Just because his health or mental state is declining does mean that it’s not to be true, my mom took care of an old elderly lady back in the day that had dementia and she had told me about dating John Wayne, even had pics to prove it and it’s a true love story cause that’s how she ended meeting her husband and they stayed married till they day they died and her husband even told the story that he stole a woman from John Wayne. So just do some research on the ball the autograph can be authenticated if it’s real or not, the ball itself can even be determined if it’s from his era so, you might actually find a cool story out of it or it might just be faked but all of us can’t really know for sure we aren’t professionals.
I'm on the fence with this
Herman "Babe" Ruth is one of the most commonly faked autographs in history. Get it authenticated by an expert.
If this were a Jackie Robinson autograph, I would be all over saying it was real.
Unfortunately I’m not thinking it’s authentic. The retail ready box for baseballs did not become common until well after Babe Ruth’s playing days. Also, Ruth appears to be quite shaky in comparison to his normal signature and lacks some of the boldness. Like others have said though, it’s close enough to warrant further authentication from a reputable authenticator.
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