Best-In-Class
1915 Babe Ruth "Rookie Portrait" Photo by Paul Thompson PSA/DNA Type I.. ...
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Description
1915 Babe Ruth "Rookie Portrait" Photo by Paul Thompson PSA/DNA Type I.
Best-In-Class Expert Analysis/Summary:
The Babe Ruth the world would come to know and remember is the gregarious, carefree, and larger-than-life physical phenom who seemingly approached everything with a childlike charm. That said, all athletes who achieve such stupendous standards of greatness are driven in a way that most people have a hard time comprehending or relating to. In many cases, that desire and competitive nature are worn on the athlete's sleeve, which was evident with the likes of Ty Cobb, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady. In the case of Ruth, however, we are often blinded by his beaming smile, failing to see the fire behind it.
While Ruth became the darling of the media and photographers everywhere once he arrived in New York and emerged as the biggest draw the game has ever seen with the Yankees, early photos with the Boston Red Sox are exceedingly rare by comparison. At that time, Ruth was just another unproven youngster trying to earn a lasting roster spot. That version of Ruth is frozen in time in this image. It takes more than talent to achieve sustained excellence in sports, or anything else for that matter. True greatness can only be reached with an unrelenting hunger to go with it, which Ruth's eyes reveal in this captivating photo.
One could easily argue that this rookie photo of Ruth, taken by renowned photographer Paul Thompson, is the finest portrait from his illustrious career. It captured Ruth before he earned star status, changed baseball forever, and became the most famous person on the planet. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, Ruth's intensity here is palpable. The future "Sultan of Swat" looks like he means business, the way a fighter stares into the eyes of his opponent before battle. In addition to the attributes noted above, the evident artistic value, clarity, and condition of the photo all contributed to its Best-In-Class assessment.