Holding Baseball History in One's Hands
A 1922 game-used Babe Ruth Louisville Slugger bat
It’s not often that one finds themselves holding a bat that was once used by the legendary Sultan of Swat himself, Babe Ruth. And yet, this is something that many baseball fans can do for a few hours per day the The National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago. It’s an opportunity that one can and should take advantage of at the Memory Lane Inc. booth (#1108). Of course, they make sure that people are wearing gloves—after all, this bat is over 100 years old. You can touch anywhere n the bat outside of where Ruth signed it.
I ventured over to the convention center for a few hours this afternoon. In addition to the amount of dealers and authenticators on hand, many sports legends and up-and-comers are present this weekend for photos and autograph opportunities. Some, like Phillies Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, are only signing autographs. It’s very different from the comic and entertainment conventions in that most of the athletes are attending for just one day even if they’re local to Chicago. I’ll write about all of my baseball encounters after the weekend.
It might not be how The Great Bambino posed when he stepped up to the plate but this is the pose you have for now.
Next year’s convention will be in Cleveland so I’m making the most of this weekend.