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The jersey worn by American players on their exhibition tour of Japan in 1934. This one belonged to Babe Ruth's teammate Lou Gehrig. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions.

Babe Ruth’s ‘Japan’ jersey on loan to Little League museum

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

The jersey worn by American players on their exhibition tour of Japan in 1934. This one belonged to Babe Ruth's teammate Lou Gehrig. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions.
The jersey worn by American players on their exhibition tour of Japan in 1934. This one belonged to Babe Ruth’s teammate Lou Gehrig. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions.
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) – Little League Baseball’s museum is now home to a jersey worn by Babe Ruth, considered one of the most expensive sports memorabilia items worldwide.

The gray wool jersey—a “3” stitched on the back—dates back to 1934, when Ruth donned the uniform for a barnstorming tour of Japan.

Little League says the precious threads are on loan from a donor who is remaining anonymous. It arrived Tuesday in an armored truck with police officers watching nearby.

Little League vice president Lance Van Auken declined to disclose the uniform’s current value, but did say it was insured for a “seven-digit” amount. It was sold at an auction in 2005 for roughly $771,000.

The uniform will be a centerpiece of Little League’s soon-to-reopen museum.

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AP-WF-06-04-13 1732GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The jersey worn by American players on their exhibition tour of Japan in 1934. This one belonged to Babe Ruth's teammate Lou Gehrig. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions.
The jersey worn by American players on their exhibition tour of Japan in 1934. This one belonged to Babe Ruth’s teammate Lou Gehrig. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com and Heritage Auctions.