It has been close to a year since I last ran a story related to an auction result. Then it was a truly remarkable object – a 19th-century Vampire Killing Kit. This baseball bat might not have the same sensational appeal as the killing kit, but it is nonetheless remarkable as a piece of American history. Used by the great Babe Ruth on his way to a World Series win, the bat was swung not for the pinstriped Yankees of New York, but the hated Red Sox wearers of Boston.

After use the bat was returned to Louisville, where it became a model for all future Ruth signature bats. Having sold for $537,750 it’s the second highest rate paid for a baseball bat. The highest price? The bat used by Ruth when he hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium history. That bat went for over a million.

Does that sting a bit Red Sox fans?

The whole story at the Bee.

Giving the notion that Abner Doubleday established modern baseball, Jay Martin’s Live All You Can presents the case for entrepreneur A.J. Cartwright as major catalyst for the games spread in the late 19th-century. Pulling together letters and papers, Martin shows how Cartwright built a formalized set of rules for the game and how he appealed to spectators across class lines. Of course, there is also time to revisit the controversy between Doubleday and Cartwright.

From Columbia University Press.

Available now from Amazon.

Master & Co.’s take on the vintage Japanese baseball shoe may well be my favorite to date. The high-top sneaker features a beautiful molded rubber sole and top cap that wrap the shoe in your choice of three colors – military green, burgundy, or navy blue. The high-top canvas is free of almost all detail but the eyelets and two minor vents on the heel. The look comes appropriately from the the bottom up with Master & Co. (hymns)

More looks at the Master & Co High-top Sneakers after the jump.

There is nothing like a World Series win to ignite a sense of pride in a city’s sporting heritage. Cashing in on the high, the Betsy Ross House has worked with Mitchell & Ness to produce Play Ball! Full of historic photographs and uniforms, the exhibition covers the full range of baseball history in the Nation’s first capital.

Check out the flags while you are there too.

Two new palaces of America’s pastime open this year in New York. In the Bronx, Yankee stadium is no longer the house that Ruth Built, but designed by Populous. The firm worked on the MET’S new facility, Citi Field, as well. In today’s NYT Nicolai Ouroussoff breaks down how each new park fits its respective team. Interactive tours are included in the review.

Ladies. Baseball is around the corner and your man would do well with this heavyweight denim baseball glove from Naked & Famous. Made in Japan from 18oz. selvedge denim, the glove comes in a red and blue colorway and is equipped with a ball to throw around. Get it now from Barneys CO-OP.

More views of the Naked & Famous Selvedge Denim Baseball Glove after the jump.