Dorothy Ruth, the adopted daughter of the Great Bambino, made an astonishing revelation in her 1988 autobiography, My Dad, the Babe. She disclosed that the iconic baseball legend was her biological father, a truth that had remained hidden from both of Ruth's wives. The child Ruth encouraged his first wife, Helen, to adopt was conceived during an affair with Juanita Jennings in 1920. Juanita would go on to marry Charles Ellias, a close friend of Babe’s. In 1929, Dorothy's life took a tragic turn when the woman she believed to be her mother died in a house fire. Shortly after Helen’s death, Ruth married Claire Merritt, who became not only Dorothy's stepmother but also Juanita’s dear friend. Juanita would then bear the heartache of keeping this heavy secret from Dorothy for a half-century longer, watching her biological daughter grow up apart from her. It wasn't until 1980, four years after Claire's passing, that Juanita confessed on her deathbed to Dorothy that she was really her mother.

On March 14, 1949, Ty Cobb gifted one of his very own Hillerich & Bradsby personal model bats to Juanita Jennings-Ellias and Charles Ellias. The Georgia Peach signed and inscribed this remarkable keepsake in strikingly bold black ink, “To Juanita & Charles, From Their Friend, Ty Cobb, 3/14/49.” Through Ty’s friendship with Babe, the couple also shared a close bond with Cobb, who presumably was unaware of Juanita's big secret and role shaping pop culture history. The H&B ‘C28’ signature model ash bat was produced for Ty Cobb post-career during the 1944-48 period as he was still under contract with the manufacturer.  Uncracked with no use, it matches the specs of ‘C28’ pro models from his playing career. The 34.5” length and 39.1 oz. weight are consistent with Cobb gamers from two decades earlier. The signature and inscription stand as the Cobb’s finest we have ever encountered on a bat, accentuated by the fascinating soap opera involving its original recipient. Includes full LOAs from PSA/DNA bat expert John Taube (authenticating it as a Cobb player model), PSA/DNA (Auto. Grade 9), and Beckett (Auto. Grade 10). Sourced several years ago directly from the estate of Juanita Jennings-Ellias.