Auction Item Details
Lot 187
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Lot Number: 187
Description: Ty Cobb professional model baseball bat c.1921-31. Never before seen in the marketplace, this recently discovered Louisville Slugger 125 model bat measures 34" long and weighs 38.6oz. Dating to the latter portion of Cobb's storied career, the bat shows outstanding usage characteristics including slight checking (grain separation) from repeated ball contact on the barrel, ball stitching impressions, and cleat marks. Remnants of a vintage gripping substance appear throughout the length of the handle. The quality of the wood is outstanding, though it appears that some grain separation on the back of the barrel has been repaired with five vintage nails. The knob end shows pronounced lathe marks with a 1" chip missing from the side of the knob. Both the H&B centerbrand labeling and Cobb's facsimile signature stamped along the barrel are deeply rendered. Ty Cobb's compulsion to succeed on the diamond prompted one sportswriter to describe him as ôpossessed by the furies.ö Cobb broke into the majors in 1905 after being purchased from the minor leagues for $750. Manager Hugh Jennings made him a regular outfielder in 1907 and Cobb became the youngest player to win the batting title. It was the first of 12 batting crowns, including nine in a row, both still records today. When he retired from the game in 1928, he held 90 major league records, most of these achieved with his bat. Most telling of his superiority is his .367 lifetime average, a daunting mark accomplished over a 24-year career that will likely never be approached. This outstanding Cobb game bat dates to the apex of his reign as baseball's most feared and dominant competitor. Includes LOA from Hunt Auctions: EXEstimated Price Range: ($40,000-$50,000)
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