Babe Ruth was already a household name in 1920, but that fall he took his bat south for a paycheck that made the baseball world sit up. A signed tour contract guaranteeing Ruth $10,000 for 10 exhibition games in Cuba is now headed to auction at Heritage Auctions.

The document is part of Heritage’s Historical Documents Including Texana Signature Auction (Sale 6334) on November 16.

$10,000 For 10 Games Paid Ruth Nearly Twice His Best Major League Rate

The contract covers a tour that ran from October 31 to November 14, 1920. Ruth joined manager John McGraw’s Giants to play Cuban teams in a series of exhibition games.

The pay was remarkable for its day. According to Heritage, the tour paid Ruth nearly twice the per-game rate of the highest salary he ever earned in the majors. For a slugger whose home runs were drawing crowds across America, a Havana trip was a big payday.

Legend Says He Left Havana With Less Money Than He Earned

Then comes the twist. Legend holds that Ruth left Cuba with less than he earned after heavy gambling at Havana’s casinos, racetracks and jai alai frontons.

Whether or not the legend is exact, it fits the Ruth story people love, a larger-than-life star who spent as big as he swung. The contract itself is a look at the money side of that story, in signed form.

Cuban Star Torriente Hit Three Homers, Including One Off Ruth

The tour is remembered for more than Ruth’s pay. Cuban star Christobal Torriente hit three home runs in the tour’s most celebrated game, including one off Ruth on the mound. That performance earned him the nickname “Babe Ruth of Cuba.”

Ruth held his own at the plate, batting .345 on the tour with two homers.

The Cuban squads of that era featured many of the leading Black and Latino players of the time. Heritage’s Historical Manuscripts consignment director, Doug Dreier, noted that those players were excluded from organized baseball in the United States then. The tour gave American fans and players a chance to see them compete at a high level.

The timing adds to the appeal. Ruth had just finished his first season with the New York Yankees, in which he hit 54 home runs, so he arrived in Havana at the height of his fame. Playing alongside McGraw’s Giants, a famous National League club, he was the main attraction for crowds who had read about him but never seen him swing.

“Captures Babe Ruth As He Was Becoming An International Sports Attraction”

That quote comes from Dreier, describing the contract. In his view, the document shows Ruth at the moment his fame spread beyond the American ballparks. A signed contract is a rare kind of baseball collectible because it shows terms, numbers and signatures rather than just a name on a ball.

It is also a rare chance to see how barnstorming and exhibition games worked in the early days of professional baseball. Players often earned extra money in the offseason by playing in tours like this one.

Lindbergh’s Handwritten Navigation Notes Are In The Same Sale

The Ruth contract is not the only headline in the November 16 sale. Heritage is also offering Charles Lindbergh’s handwritten navigational notes showing his preparations for the nonstop solo flight in the Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris.

He completed that flight on May 20 and 21, 1927, and won the $25,000 Orteig Prize. The notes cover routes from San Diego to St. Louis, St. Louis to New York and New York to Paris. Dreier said the notes “bring us close to the work behind Lindbergh’s historic flight.”

Earhart, Napoleon And Sam Houston Round Out The Lineup

The sale includes two Amelia Earhart items, a signature on her personal company letterhead and a PSA-encapsulated clipped signature. There is also a polar exploration group signed by Richard E. Byrd, Robert E. Peary, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Vivian Fuchs.

History fans will find a signed letter from Napoleon Bonaparte rallying the Army of Italy, a letter from Winston Churchill to his American lecture tour manager, and a signed letter from Mary, Queen of Scots. There is also an eight-page 1853 letter from Sam Houston to his brother.

How To Think About Buying Historical Documents

Many people enjoy following sales like this one even if they never bid. Documents with famous names attract serious collectors, and a signed contract can be worth far more than a signature alone because of the story it tells.

If you are tempted to bid, look for clear provenance, which means a record of where the piece has been, and ask about authentication. Read the lot description for condition notes, and remember that buyer fees are added to the final bid at most auction houses. Setting a firm limit before the sale begins is the best way to keep the excitement from running away with your budget.

For baseball fans, the real treat is the glimpse of a young Ruth being treated as a global attraction. A single sheet of paper promises $10,000 for 10 games, and nearly a century later it still gets people talking about Havana, home runs and a very expensive trip.

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