The contract that baseball legend Babe Ruth signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1918 was auctioned off for a record-breaking $1.02 million on Saturday night.
The contract itself was only $5,000 but its historical significance was enough for the document to be sold at the staggering price. The document was signed by Ruth, AL president Ban Johnson and Red Sox boss Harry Frazee. Ruth was eventually sold to the rival New York Yankees a year later.
The price was the highest ever for a sports contract. In 2005 the document that sent Ruth to New York was sold for $996,000.
Per ESPN, Goldin Auctions refused to divulge the identity of the person who bought the contract because the buyer wanted to remain anonymous.
The auction took place in Baltimore to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the baseball icon's major league debut.
Intriguingly, the first home run ball of Ruth at the Yankee Stadium failed to sell. A bat he had used early in his career was sold for $215,000 while a signed ball fetched for $96,000.
Ruth, a native of Baltimore, played his first professional game on July 11, 1914. He was signed to play for the minor league Baltimore Orioles before he was sold to the Red Sox. Considered as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Ruth won seven league championships and four World Series championships with the New York Yankees. He is widely considered as the greatest baseball player of all time and has become a cultural icon.
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