LAND OF THE LONG BALL

BABE RUTH’S 1934 TOUR of Japan leaves behind a BASEBALL LEGACY, plenty of collectibles

BY CLEMENTE LISI

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani conquered both the major leagues and the collectables industry with his historic 50-50 season last year. The Japanese star, known by the nickname “Shotime,” capped off the 2024 season by helping the Dodgers win the World Series. The two-way star is reminiscent of another hitter (who was also a pitcher) who once dominated baseball to become one of the 20th century’s greatest athletes. That player was Babe Ruth, who made the long ball fashionable and forever changed the game with the New York Yankees of the 1920s and ’30s. Ohtani and Ruth are linked in other ways. While Ohtani, a three-time MVP, dominated the MLB season, Ruth did the same in Japan when he and a group of major leaguers took a barnstorming tour…

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Sports Collectors Digest (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 1, 2025

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