Card Statistics
"Gouache by the master Kailash Raj." -Charles Mandel
Helmar’s T3 series continues with Babe Ruth, shown with the New York Americans in a composed batting pose rather than the explosive swing so often associated with him. Ruth stands with the bat resting across his shoulder, his weight gathered calmly beneath him as he looks toward the pitcher. The striped uniform and dark cap are set against a broad green field and a striking orange-and-blue evening sky, with a distant city silhouette along the horizon. The result is one of the more atmospheric compositions in the series, pairing an iconic player with the expansive, almost poster-like presentation suited to the large T3 format.
The original artwork was painted by Kailash Raj in gouache. His treatment of Ruth’s uniform is built from pale cream and gray washes, with fine linear accents defining the pinstripes and darker passages giving weight to the sleeves and trousers. The face is modeled with warmer tones, while the bat and belt provide strong horizontal accents across the figure. Most distinctive is the sky, where broad orange, rose, and blue washes create a dramatic sunset effect that gives the card a visual identity immediately different from the more conventional ballpark backgrounds elsewhere in the set. Raj's work is found in many museums across the world.
Babe Ruth transformed the role of the home run and became the most famous player of his generation. After beginning his career as a dominant left-handed pitcher with Boston, he emerged as an unprecedented power hitter and joined New York in 1920. Ruth led the American League in home runs twelve times, hit 60 in 1927, and finished his career with 714 home runs. He helped New York win seven American League pennants and four World Series championships and became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Numbered #15, the Ruth card is an obvious centerpiece of the T3 checklist. Its importance extends well beyond a New York team grouping: Ruth is one of the subjects around which collectors can naturally build the series, and his presence gives the set a major landmark card alongside its deeper selection of Deadball Era stars, regional players, and less frequently represented names.
Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, baseball’s most iconic player, and a deliberately vintage presentation inspired by the grand-format baseball cards of the tobacco era.
Original gouache artwork by Kailash Raj.
- Description: Classic batting
- Team: New York Yankees
- Population (# Sold): 20
- First Date Sold: 2019-12-17
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-16
- Card Status: Retired
- # Sold in past year: 2
- Highest Auction: $ 217.85
- Average Auction Result: $ 114.57
Popularity Rankings
Visit these teammates on the New York Yankees in the T3-Helmar series
Click the Card # link to go to Card Info, Click the Player Name link to go the the Player Biography
- # 63, Frank Crosetti
- # 86, Lou GEHRIG
- # 87, Lefty GOMEZ (HOF)
- # 103, Bob Meusel
- # 104, Wally Pipp
- # 111, Bill DICKEY
- # 117, Tony LAZZERI (HOF)
- # 121, Ray "Slim" Caldwell
- # 130, Wally Schang
- # 133, Lou GEHRIG
- # 140, Babe RUTH (HOF)
- # 151, Joe DiMAGGIO
- # 155, Bennie Bengough
- # 159, Waite HOYT
- # 163, Herb PENNOCK (HOF)
- # 165, Urban Shocker
- # 177, Joe DiMAGGIO
- # 208, Joe McCARTHY
- # 210, Joe Gordon
- # 220, Miller HUGGINS (HOF)
