This extraordinary Babe Ruth Hillerich & Bradsby professional model game used bat dates to a two-year period in which the Bambino hit exactly one hundred home runs: 54 in 1928 and 46 in 1929. The 1928 Yankees picked up where their legendary 1927 club left off as essentially the same “Murderer’s Row” crew swept the Cardinals in the World Series to claim the franchise's third championship. Across those two seasons, Ruth batted .333, drove in precisely 300 runs, and posted a .703 slugging percentage. This hefty 41-oz. bat comes from the height of the Babe's powers. It was later given to his Yankees teammate, shortstop Mark Koenig, based on “MK” initials on the bat and its documented provenance. Renowned bat expert John Taube of PSA/DNA has graded it an exceptional GU 9, tracing it back to Ruth's factory ordering records.

Measuring 35 inches and weighing 41.2 ounces, the bat is made of hickory and has “George ‘Babe’ Ruth” branded on the barrel. Initially identified as “His 5-14-27" model, it was later catalogued as R34 when H&B switched to a numerical system in the 1940's. Three key attributes date it to 1928–29: the C-5B center brand, the absence of the 1931 "Powerized" stamp, and Ruth's hickory orders of 40–42 ounces in those two years. His 1928 orders include bats shipped to him for the World Series. PSA/DNA describes the use as moderate with the following characteristics typical of a Ruth gamer: ball marks on the left and back barrel (Ruth's typical contact area); a green rack mark on the left barrel from the Yankees' bat tray; small cleat impressions on the barrel; and a lighter tone on the lower handle from where Babe gripped his bats.

Koenig Connection

Mark Koenig was the shortstop for the 1927 "Murderers' Row" Yankees and batted directly ahead of Ruth and Gehrig in that vaunted lineup. He was Ruth's teammate throughout the period this bat was used. Five years later, as a member of the Cubs, Koenig became a figure in the backstory to Ruth's 1932 "Called Shot” when his partial World Series share allotted by Chicago’s front office irked his former Yankee teammates. Ruth was known for giving his bats to friends and teammates. The initials "MK" were burned into the barrel and written in pencil on the knob, a personal record of this gift to Koenig. The "MK" impression on the barrel has since been repaired according to Taube. PSA/DNA has confirmed that the use belonged solely to Ruth, as Koenig’s 1928–29 orders were different models all weighing five to six ounces lighter than Ruth's R34.

According to the included 1992 letter of provenance from Michael Montbriand, a leading game-used bat authority at that time and author of the "Gone Bats" column in Sports Collectors Digest, the bat stayed in the Koenig family for generations. When PSA/DNA examined it in 2025 for authentication and grading, the year range was updated from 1925-26 to 1928-29 based on Taube’s advanced knowledge of Ruth bats over the past three decades.

Authentication

PSA/DNA GU 9 Letter of Grading and Authenticity (Cert. #1B31833). Original 3-page letter of authenticity from Michael P. Montbriand, dated January 21, 1992.