Babe Ruth’s iconic 1932 jersey goes to auction, expected to hit $30M

To this day, debate rages on about whether Babe Ruth predicted where he would hit a home run in the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. 

The home run, perhaps the most famous play in all sports, is known as the "called shot."

Now, the jersey that Ruth wore in that game is up for auction, and it's expected to fetch $30 million, according to Heritage Auctions. 

Bidding is underway, and it is already the most valuable sports item ever.

"This is the holy grail," Mike Provenzale, the production manager of Heritage Sports, said.

1934: American baseball player Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth, 1895 - 1948) hits his first home run during his tour of Japan at Miji Shrine Stadium, Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by New York Times Co./Getty Images)

The jersey was last sold nearly 20 years ago. The current owner, who has not been identified, spent the last two decades trying to prove that the jersey was the real thing. Indeed, he did.

"The Y in York is right along the button path and where it lines up with the two buttons and the seam of the button path is right along the side of the Y," Provenzale said. "And when you look at images of Ruth from Game 3 of the '32 World Series, it matches perfectly."

For Babe Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, the idea that the jersey is worth $30 million is improbable.

"I find it hard to fathom," Tosetti said. "It's only a shirt like I'm wearing, you know?"

Bidding on the jersey continues through Saturday. One thing is clear. It is already far more than "a shirt."