The jersey worn by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig in his final home game appearance sold for $2.71 million in an auction on Wednesday. It was the highest amount ever paid in a public auction for a piece of memorabilia belonging to baseball’s “Iron Horse.”
Gehrig’s pinstriped No. 4 jersey was the highlight of the live sale conducted by Christie’s and Hunt Auctions. It was part of the collection of the late Dr. G.B. Espy, which brought in more than $8.4 million during the auction.
Pinstriped Hero. Remarkable 1939 @Yankees Lou Gehrig home jersey photomatched by @MeiGray to his final appearance at Yankee Stadium. The jersey had been held in a private collection since the 1990s and hammered down for $2,712,000 @ChristiesInc @sgcgrading pic.twitter.com/kRjbYtfnC6
— Hunt Auctions (@HuntAuctions) October 22, 2025
Gehrig, who took himself out of the lineup on May 2, 1939, after appearing in a then-record 2,130 consecutive games, remained with the Yankees in a ceremonial role and was present at Game 2 of the 1939 World Series, when New York hosted the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium. He was photographed in the dugout by a battery of photographers, who understood that the game was Gehrig’s final one at his home ballpark.
Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) earlier in the season and would die on June 2, 1941. ALS is now more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“From a distance, he looked like a young man — robust and strong,” Bill Boni of The Associated Press reported at the time of the Oct. 5, 1939, game at Yankee Stadium. “But he had to grasp a railing to climb those steps, and it was with the gait of an old man that he shuffled the few feet to the box of Mrs. Joe McCarthy, the Yankee manager’s wife.”
The Yankees shut out the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the World Series, which they would eventually win in a four-game sweep.
The uniform was photomatched by MeiGray and was rated in VG-EX condition by the SGC grading company.
“The jersey had been originally preserved by a dry cleaner who was tasked with cleaning the uniforms for the (Yankees’ affiliate) Newark Bears,” the auction lot description read. “Noticing that Lou Gehrig’s jersey was among those headed for Minor League use, the cleaner coveted the final home shirt worn by the Iron Horse and retained it for over 50 years.”
Goodman Basil Espy III, a prominent doctor and collector, nicknamed “G.B.”, died in Atlanta on Nov. 7, 2024. He bought the jersey in 1991 for $115,000.
It is not the same jersey that Gehrig wore during his “Luckiest Man” speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, ESPN reported. It is unclear what happened to that particular jersey.
“Dr. Espy was an indefatigable and discerning collector, and the market responded to his taste with a resounding vote of confidence,” Christie’s spokesperson Nathalie Ferneau said in a news release. “Today’s amazing auction results are another sign that memorabilia is a growing category.”
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