Auction Item Details
Lot 848
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Lot Number: 848
Description: Babe Ruth professional model baseball bat c.1930. Louisville Slugger 125 model bat measures 34 3/4" long and weighs 37.oz. Bat construction is of the finest white hickory (rare) exhibiting numerous usage characteristics associated with other documented Babe Ruth game used bats. The barrel of the bat shows definitive ball marks with a heavy concentration on the left handed hitting surface indicative of a ""label down"" hitter (Ruth). The barrel also shows cleat marks, stitching impressions, and six surface indentations which appear to have been caused by Ruth hitting the bat on the dugout steps. Additionally, the handle exhibits several areas of light "scoring" as characteristically seen on some Ruth game used bats in order to enhance his grip on the bat. The offered bat originated from the personal collection of Earl Whitehill who played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago Cubs from 1923-1939. Whitehill was a close acquaintance of Babe Ruth, and in fact, Whitehill's wife stayed with Mrs. Ruth on occasion when travelling. The bat was given to Earl Whitehill directly by Babe Ruth in 1931 during a game at Detroit. Babe Ruth hickory model baseball bats are extremely desirable as he was one of a relatively small group of players who used, and could handle, a bat with the weight and substance of hickory. In fact, the offered bat is directly referenced within the original Hillerich & Bradbsy Co. records as having been ordered during the 1930 season with a "WH" next to the order indicating "white hickory". In addition, the bat is pictured on page 69 in Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the WorldÆs Finest Private Collections. Rarely does a Babe Ruth game used bat surface with such extensive provenance and unique identifying usage characteristics making the offered example one of the finest of its type to have entered the marketplace. Includes (2) letters of provenance from the Whitehill family (one handwritten, one typed on Yankees stationary), LOA from PSA/DNA-John Taube (Graded GU10), LOA from David Bushing, LOA from MEARS Authentication (Graded A9.5), photocopy of the corresponding Hillerich & Bradbsy Co. shipping records, and LOA from Hunt Auctions: EX-MT
Estimated Price: ($75,000.00-$100,000.00)
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