Babe Ruth's last home run ball is in the Baseball Hall of Fame

Before Hank Aaron came along, Babe Ruth held the record for the most home runs in a career (714), which stood for almost 40 years. On May 25, 1935, while playing for the Boston Braves against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he recorded his last significant hit. That's noteworthy enough on its own, but in typical Bambino form, his final home run made history since it was the first time anyone had ever seen a ball pass the 86-foot stands at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Some claimed it even went 50 feet past the stands. At a sports memorabilia sale, the ball soared once more, 75 years after Babe Ruth hit the inaugural home run at Yankee Stadium.

The ball, which was found in an attic in New Jersey two years ago, sold Wednesday morning for $126,500. Although at least one ball was sold for a higher price in a private sale, it was a record for a baseball sold at auction. Whether or not that is the case, Ruth's autograph was quickly obtained by a young guy who picked up the ball and ran to a yard four blocks from the stadium. Mr. Scala brought the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, where it was inscribed with Ruth's signature and stated that it was the first home run ever hit in Yankee Stadium. Peter Clark, the curator of the collection, was there when he met him.