Babe Ruth $$$

[BobC]

Here's an interesting thought. Of all these all-time Mount Rushmore level greats, they all are publicized and have been portrayed in modern times by movies. Gary Cooper has played Gehrig, William Bendix and John Goodman have been Ruth (along with Ruth playing himself), Tommy Lee Jones has portrayed Cobb, and even Joe Jackson has gotten modern day exposure from being portrayed in Field of Dreams and Eight Men Out. But what about Honus Wagner? I'm not aware of any movies or other shows that portrayed him and told his story, yet he is up there as one of the all- time greats. Can it truly be the legend/myth surrounding his T206 card that drives so much of the popularity and value in the other card issues he appears in?

And getting back to Ruth, as I think about it, he seems to have been portrayed in/the subject of more movies than any player in history. Heck, a signed baseball by him was the central theme of an entire movie - Sandlot. So that right there kind of tells of his level of popularity versus everyone else as well.

[Carter08]

Good point. Forgot about the Cobb movie. A Roy Hobbs rookie would fetch huge money I would think but would he be listed as a pitcher or an outfielder?

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by Carter08

Good point. Forgot about the Cobb movie. A Roy Hobbs rookie would fetch huge money I would think but would he be listed as a pitcher or an outfielder?

Any Ty Cobb movie based on Al Stumps lies is best forgotten.

[Carter08]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Any Ty Cobb movie based on Al Stumps lies is best forgotten.

Since the thread is a lot of Ruth and Cobb I wanted to post this link. It’s worth a few minutes. Durocher talks his experiences with Cobb, Ruth, and Mays.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcW7yYFhqk

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by Carter08

Since the thread is a lot of Ruth and Cobb I wanted to post this link. It’s worth a few minutes. Durocher talks his experiences with Cobb, Ruth, and Mays.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DfcW7yYFhqk

Great stuff!

[BobC]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Any Ty Cobb movie based on Al Stumps lies is best forgotten.

LOL

Wasn't saying the movies are perfect, but still they did one just based on Cobb.

[JollyElm]

The problem with the portrayal of 'The Babe' in movies is does anyone ever let their guard down far enough to actually believe the actor is Babe Ruth?? No frickin' way. They always find the fattest actor around, load him up with makeup and/or prosthetics and then pretend this completely out of shape board treader is the most famously skilled ballplayer of all time, when we wouldn't even choose him for a backyard Wiffle Ball game. Yeah right!

Although not stated directly (IIRC), this guy is supposed to be Babe Ruth in "The Catcher Was A Spy." He's like a four foot tall meatball. Come on, Hollywood!!!

thecatcherwasaspyruth.jpg

[Carter08]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

The problem with the portrayal of 'The Babe' in movies is does anyone ever let their guard down far enough to actually believe the actor is Babe Ruth?? No frickin' way. They always find the fattest actor around, load him up with makeup and/or prosthetics and then pretend this completely out of shape board treader is the most famously skilled ballplayer of all time, when we wouldn't even choose him for a backyard Wiffle Ball game. Yeah right!

Although not stated directly (IIRC), this guy is supposed to be Babe Ruth in "The Catcher Was A Spy." He's like a four foot tall meatball. Come on, Hollywood!!!

Attachment 480184

Would be hard to find someone to play Gehrig nowadays. Maybe John Hamm a few years ago. I’m not saying he was a good looking man but he was a good looking man.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Carter08

Would be hard to find someone to play Gehrig nowadays. Maybe John Hamm a few years ago. I’m not saying he was a good looking man but he was a good looking man.

You need an actor that excels at playing a charismatic strong and silent type, one that only speaks when they need to IMO.

[esehombre]

Yeah, the amount of Babe Ruth cards i saw as a kid at card shows was stunning and they were always waaaay out of my reach - something i thought of as almost an entirely different scale of collecting. We use his name as a way of describing things that are truly larger than life. And now the prices are "Ruthian" unfortunately. I guess i always figured they would be slightly out of my reach - I did buy one a few years ago and wouldnt trade it for anything. Perhaps my favorite pose of any player.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

The problem with the portrayal of 'The Babe' in movies is does anyone ever let their guard down far enough to actually believe the actor is Babe Ruth?? No frickin' way. They always find the fattest actor around, load him up with makeup and/or prosthetics and then pretend this completely out of shape board treader is the most famously skilled ballplayer of all time, when we wouldn't even choose him for a backyard Wiffle Ball game. Yeah right!

Although not stated directly (IIRC), this guy is supposed to be Babe Ruth in "The Catcher Was A Spy." He's like a four foot tall meatball. Come on, Hollywood!!!

Attachment 480184

They weren't always hacks. In 1942's Pride of the Yankees, Ruth actually played himself opposite Gary Cooper as Gehrig, if I remember correctly. And I don't think William Bendix was that bad of a Ruth portrayer.

Oh, and that reminds me of another thing touting Ruth's universal popularity and appeal. Swell actually created an entire card set to go along with and help promote the movie starring Bendix. Until the start of the junk wax era of the 80s-90s, the only similar player I can remember ever having an entire card set of more than just a handful of cards dedicated solely to them would be the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set. And I think that wasn't so much that Fleer wanted to do a set just for Williams, but more because Topps had pretty much everyone else under exclusive contract back then.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by BobC

Oh, and that reminds me of another thing touting Ruth's universal popularity and appeal. Swell actually created an entire card set to go along with and help promote the movie starring Bendix.

The cards from the set with Ruth himself are selling for three figures and up.

He also got a subset in 1962 Topps; can't think of any old-timer who got that treatment in the 1950s-1960s Topps issues.



I guess it was Topps' version of the 61*

[Seven]

All this talk of Ruth, and it makes me thinking about pivoting to get one of his cards next. His Sanella still seems to be relatively affordable, along with the Japanese issue whose name escapes me at the moment.Though I'm trying to think what other cards of his would be available in the 0-2K range. Probably not much anymore. Any thoughts?