Babe Ruth jersey auctioned for $4.41M

LAGUNA NIGEL, Calif., May 21 (UPI) -- A California auctioneer said baseball great Babe Ruth's 1920 New York Yankees jersey sold for a record $4.41 million.

SCP Auctions of Laguna Nigel said the jersey, the oldest known to have been worn by Ruth, eclipsed the $4.3 million paid for the previous top-selling item of sports memorabilia, James Naismith's original rules of basketball, the New York Post reported Monday.

"Babe Ruth is the king. He's always been the king in our business," SCP President David Kohler said. "He's a national heirloom. Everything he did was just bigger. He was bigger than the sport of baseball."

Kohler said the buyer requested to remain anonymous.