Babe Ruth baseball jersey sells for record-breaking $5.6m at auction

Item of clothing becomes most expensive piece of sports memorabilia in history

(GETTY IMAGES)

A jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth has broken records to become the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia in history.

The Great Bambino’s jersey was on auction in New York on Saturday, where it was snatched up for an eye-popping $5.64m (£4.4m).

That figure beats the previous record of $4.4m, set in 2012, for sports memorabilia – a price that was also paid out for a Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey.

“The legacy and significance of Babe Ruth to the game of baseball and American popular culture is unmatched by any other figure in the history of this country,” David Hunt, the president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement.

“While the record-setting prices attained today are certainly astonishing, I am not surprised at all given the incredible materials and the mythical status the Babe holds in the history of this country."

The shirt sold on Saturday dates to sometime between 1928 and 1930, when Ruth was rocketing to prominence and stature in the sporting world that endures to this day.

Ruth played for 22 seasons in Major League Baseball, and is regarded as one of the best players the sport has ever seen.

He is known for breaking several records during his career and won seven World Series before retiring in 1935.