This 1920 Babe Ruth jersey sold for a record $4.4 million. (SCP Auctions)

The Sultan of Swat apparently knows no recession.

On Sunday, Babe Ruth‘s 1920 Yankees jersey, the earliest known to still exist, was bought for a record-breaking $4,415,658.

The winning bid, made by memorabilia auction house Lelands.com, surpassed the $4,338,500 paid in 2010 for Dr. James Naismith‘s founding rules of basketball, making Ruth’s jersey the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia in history.

SCP Auctions, which ran the sale, had been speculating it would go for at least $1 million. Lelands, however, presumably expects the jersey to eventually sell for even more than its $4.4 million price tag, as the company intends to turn around and sell it to a private collector.

“Such a spectacular piece will find a home with one of our private clients who truly appreciates its historic significance.” said Lelands president Mike Heffner.

The jersey is the road model Ruth wore in 1920, his first season after leaving the Red Sox.

Coincidentally, Ruth’s old house in Sudbury also is for sale. The owners are evidently hoping to cash in on the Bambino’s name as well, listing the house for $1.65 million — more than half a million more than real estate website Zillow.com estimates the house to be worth.

Also during this past weekend’s auction, a 1934 Ruth hat — famously purchased and worn by David Wells for one inning during a game in 1997 — set a record for a cap when it was sold for $537,278. Wells, who paid $35,000 for it, sold it to raise money to renovate his old high school’s field in San Diego.

Lawrence Taylor‘s Super Bowl XXV ring, sold by Taylor’s son, T.J., brought $230,401.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez called reports of his participation in illegal poker games in 2009 “inaccurate and unfair.”

Rodriguez said that while he has not spoken with representatives from Major League Baseball yet, “I look forward to meeting with them as soon as possible and putting this behind me.”

Rodriguez also commented on the University of Miami, whose football program has come under fire because of ex-booster Nevin Shapiro, who claims to have provided players with money, gifts and prostitutes. Rodriguez is a member of the school’s Board of Trustees.

“I’m just very sad about the whole thing,” he said. “It’s just very sad. “Very sad, and very depressing.”

Despite being benched as the Yankees designated hitter last week and having his worst season of his career, Jorge Posada said on Sunday that he plans on playing next season, whether it is with the Yankees or not.

“It could [happen],” Posada told New York Post about playing for another team next season. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after this year. But we’ll see.”

He did admit that it would be difficult leaving the Yankees because of their fans.

“The fans are a big reason why I love playing the game, and especially here,” Posada said. “I play for them.”

Posada is currently in his 17th season in the big leagues, all with the Yankees. This season in 91 games Posada is hitting .237 with 10 home runs and has struck out 64 times.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez had four hits – two doubles – in 13 simulated at-bats Sunday, ESPNNewYork.com’s Mike Mazzeo reported. He also played defense and ran the bases in his three simulated games.

Rodriguez’s torn meniscus has kept him out of the lineup since July 8, but he has since had surgery and recovered enough for rehab starts in the minor leagues. Mazzeo wrote that Rodriguez is expected to make two starts with Triple-A Scranton on Tuesday and Wednesday, then could rejoin the Yankees on Thursday.

Rodriguez was batting .295 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs before going on the DL. The Yankees are 21-11 without him, with Eric Chavez and Eduardo Nunez handling third base duties. The two have combined for a .257 average, three home runs and 25 RBIs in 34 games at third.

Derek Jeter donated on Saturday the gloves and helmet worn when he homered his way to 3,000 hits to the Hall of Fame, the AP reported Sunday.

The donation came during a presentation before Saturday’s Yankees-Rays game. Jeter reached 3,000 hits against the Rays on July 9.

It’s not as if Jeter won’t have any mementos from his historic home run. The Yankees gave Jeter a Waterford crystal vase, plus jewelry for his entire family. Jeter and his father received rings studded with 50 diamonds, 14 of which make the number 2. Jeter’s mother and sister received pendants.

”What a gift,” Jeter said. “The ring is outstanding.”

Jorge Posada and CC Sabathia also commissioned a 225-pound stainless steel sculpture for Jeter, with an inscription reading, ‘To our captain, leader and friend. Congratulations on a great achievement, from your teammates.”

”He said, ‘Where am I going to put this?’” Posada said. “I said, ‘You have plenty of room in that house in Tampa.’”

Toronto’s Jose Bautista left Thursday night’s game against the Yankees after sliding awkwardly into third base in the fourth inning. He is listed as day-to-day.

Blue Jays manager John Farrell said X-rays were negative.

“Hopefully this isn’t a prolonged situation where he’s going to miss any length of time,” Farrell said.

Bautista leads the majors with 31 home runs and 75 walks and is first in MLB in OBP (.470), slugging (.701) and OPS (1.171). He is second in the majors in runs (74) and third in batting average (.336).

The Yankees have confirmed that Alex Rodriguez will undergo surgery Monday to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee. He will miss 4-6 weeks.

The Yankees medical staff first diagnosed the tear on Saturday and recommended surgery. After getting a second opinion on Sunday, Rodriguez agreed. The Yankees say Dr. Lee Kaplan on the University of Miami will perform the surgery.

The Yankees hold a five-game lead over both the Rays and the Angels in the AL wild card race, and are one game behind the Red Sox in the AL East.

Rodriguez is batting .295 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Derek Jeter took a major step Saturday evening towards returning to the major leagues and his pursuit of 3,000 career hits. In his first rehab start for Double-A Trenton, Jeter went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run. He did not make an error in five innings at shortstop.

“I feel good,” Jeter said after the game. “There are no problems whatsoever. It’s just getting at-bats and playing, but I feel good. We play this game every day for a reason. You have to get into a rhythm.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman attended the game and agreed.

“Today looked great,” Cashman told Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.. “He looked really good. . . . He looked better at the plate than we expected, and I thought defensively there was a pretty tough play to make.”

Jeter is scheduled for just one more rehab outing before returning to the Yankees on Monday.

Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes has been spending time in the minors rehabbing from right-shoulder inflammation that sent him to the disabled list back in April. After three rehab starts, including one Wednesday night in which he allowed just one run over 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight for Double-A Trenton, Hughes told the New York Daily News that he thinks he’s ready to be back in pinstripes.

“Absolutely, if they asked me,” Hughes said. “But I know they won’t.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman pretty much confirmed Hughes’s thought process by telling the press at Yankees Stadium, saying “It wouldn’t hurt for him to get one more outing. . . . The 85 pitches he threw today in Double-A is the equivalent of 70 at the major league level in terms of workload and effort and stress – so it wouldn’t hurt to get him farther.”

Brian Gordon has had to fill in for injured starter Bartolo Colon in the Yankees rotation since June 16.

MLB Vice President of Baseball Operations and former Yankees manager Joe Torre once again put on the pinstripes for Sunday’s Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium.

“Putting it back on felt good,” said Torre. “Taking it off was quite emotional back in ’07 because when I was doing it, I knew I wasn’t going to be here anymore. I just don’t like to dwell on stuff, but I certainly did feel different when I put it on, because it was something I hadn’t done it in a long time, and it’s obviously the uniform that has meant the most to my career.”

Torre received a standing ovation during pre-game introductions.

“It was heartwarming,” Torre said of the ovation he received. “These fans are so special, and you can feel their heartbeat.”

ESPNNewYork.com’s Mike Mazzeo wrote Monday that Torre had been asked to come back for Old-Timers’ Day every season since leaving after losing to the Angels in the 2007 ALDS, but did not attend because he was managing the Dodgers.

Torre led the Yankees to six World Series and four titles in 12 years with the Yankees. He left following contentious contract negotiations with then-owner George Steinbrenner.