Lou Gehrig’s Historic Uniform Achieves Record Price at Auction
A piece of baseball history has reached astronomical figures. The uniform worn by Lou Gehrig in his last appearance at Yankee Stadium sold for an astounding $2.712 million at a recent auction. This figure sets a new record for any Gehrig memorabilia item.
This iconic uniform was the one Gehrig wore in the second game of the 1939 World Series. The auction, presented by Christie’s and Hunt Auctions, was part of the collection of Dr. G.B. Espy. The final price included the buyer’s premium.
In 1939, Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that would later become known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Due to this condition, he was only able to play eight games that season before retiring. His then-record of 2,130 consecutive games played came to an end, but he remained with the Yankees, delivering the lineup cards to the umpires.
The auctioned uniform was authenticated by MeiGray, who confirmed that it was used on October 5, 1939, the last time Gehrig wore a Yankees uniform at home.
Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941.The uniform Lou Gehrig wore in the second game of the 1939 World Series, his last appearance at Yankee Stadium, sold for $2.712 million at auction.
The lot description details that the jersey was originally preserved by a cleaner who was in charge of cleaning the uniforms of the Newark Bears, a team affiliated with the Yankees. Upon realizing that Lou Gehrig’s jersey was intended for use in the minor leagues, the cleaner decided to keep the last jersey worn by the “Iron Horse”, keeping it for more than 50 years.
Dr. Espy, whom Hunt Auctions President David Hunt described as “a pioneering collector of historical memorabilia during the formative years of the medium,” acquired the jersey in 1991 for $115,000. It should be noted that this is not the same jersey that Gehrig wore during his “Luckiest Man” speech on July 4, 1939, whose whereabouts are still unknown.
In the same auction, a bat that John Taube of PSA described as “very likely” used during Gehrig’s last World Series in 1938, sold for $1.197 million. Jackie Robinson’s Hall of Fame ring also sold for $693,000. Both prices included the buyer’s premium.
