This signed Bambino ball dates back to around 1933, just as all those miles of hot dogs, beer and loose women began to catch up to him. In retrospect, the mythical "called shot" home off Charlie Root in the '32 World Series really was a kind of parting shot for Babe. For while he would still have some productive at-bats left, in '33 his average slid from .341 to .301, his homers from 41 to 34, his RBIs from 130 to 114 (still tops in the AL). Worse for the fading legend was that Lou Gehrig, whom he despised (rumors had it that Lou's mother put the bee in his bonnet that Babe was messing with Lou's wife), continued on his upward path; by '34 the Bombers would be Lou's team, and Babe would be politely shown the door, given his walking papers after he put in to be Yankee manager and was turned down flat. He'd finish his peerless career not with the Yankees but as a sideshow attraction with the Boston Braves for 28 games in '35, a Sultan-turned-peon. This stunning OAL (Harridge) ball, then, represents the last shred of dignity and swagger for the most renowned athlete in history, when Ruth could attach his mighty marker to a ball as if he was king of the realm. The signature looks it, too, typically big and bold and brassy, meandering across the sweet spot like an easy Babe trot around the bases after a homer. Signature in black fountain pen grades a solid 7/10, kept from perfection due to mild fading of the ink, yet like any Ruth signature it seems to give the orb a personality and regality all its own. The ball itself is nearly perfect, a strong EX with a light golden toning and a few specks and nicks dotting the surface of this most special horsehide. Overall 6/10.