Auction Item Details
Lot 52
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Lot Number: 52
Description: Exceptional and Important Mickey Mantle autographed professional model baseball bat c.1961-62 with Mantle Autographed Letter of Provenance (PSA/DNA GU 9.5) Perhaps the most staggering point about Mickey Mantle's 1961 season was that he finished second in the American League (and MLB overall) for home runs WITH 54 TOTAL! The home run race between Mantle and teammate Roger Maris not only captivated the country but has since evolved to an almost mythical level. Game used artifacts dating to the 1961 season are among the most coveted of any season within the history of baseball let alone professional sports. In total, the scant population of such objects of notable quality might number as low as single digits several of which are curated within the permanent collections of major sports institutions. Furthermore, of that same population the number of succinctly authenticated items to the 1961 season may well account for as little as one quarter of that total. Offered is a Mickey Mantle professional mode bat dating to the 1961 season in addition to early 1962 season. The Louisville Slugger 125 model bat measures 35" long and weighs 33.6oz. Model number B220 is stamped on the knob end with evidence of extremely heavy use visible throughout to include ball marks, stitching impressions, grain swelling, heavy pine tar residue on the handle, and professionally repaired handle crack. Mantle has autographed the bat in blue sharpie under the barrel stampings rating 7 out of 10 with some light age fading. Remarkably, the bat is accompanied by a typewritten letter which has been autographed by Mickey Mantle, "To Whom it May Concern: This H&B bat Model #B220 was used by me during the 1961 and part of the 1962 season. It is signed by me and shows heavy game use." The letter is signed by Mantle in blue ink and was assigned a grade by PSA/DNA of (9 MINT). Not only does the forementioned Mantle signed letter of provenance present as a unique opportunity of known game bat exemplars but it also provides vital supplemental and corroborative data regarding the bat dating period. Based on Hillerich & Bradsby factory records Mantle specifically ordered B220 model bats from May of 1961 to July of 1962. Interestingly, although Mantle enjoyed a rather lengthy career the number of surviving game used bats is surprisingly smaller than one might expect. Furthermore, examples of significance have largely been discovered and are firmly entreched within advanced collections or institutions. To the best of our knowledge, the offered bat is the only known specimen with first hand corroboratve written and signed documentation by Mantle himself. Presenting with the aforementioned Mantle documentation, usage characteristics, and dating period to the pinnacle of Mantle's career this bat now soundly enters the conversation as one of the very finest known of its type. Includes full LOA from PSA/DNA (GU 9.5) (Bat), full LOA from PSA/DNA (Mantle signature on bat), and Mantle signed letter is encapsulated by PSA/DNA (9 MINT): EXEstimated Price Range: ($150,000-$300,000)
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