This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/22/2019
Though not a member of the 500 home run club, Cal Ripken Jr. earned a first ballot nod into the baseball Hall of Fame by posting superior numbers throughout his 21 year career and would easily have earned Cooperstown admittance even without his celebrated consecutive streak of 2,632 games. Ripken hit 20 or more homers twelve times while popping 13 or more ever year, and drove in at least 80 runs fourteen times. A two-time American League Most Valuable Player, Ripken broke into the majors for a few games in 1981 but became a starter in his official rookie year of 1982 and won the Rookie of the Year award by busting 28 homers while driving in 93. The featured bat is a piece of baseball history, a game-used Cal Ripken bat from his 1982 rookie season, the only time he used this style of two-tone bat. This 35", 32 ounce gamer is an uncracked Louisville Slugger model P72 that shows all the signs of significant game use, with ball ink transfer, deeply embedded stitch marks, rack and cleat marks, and a generous amount of dried pine tar on the handle. Ripken's number "8" appears prominently on the knob. The bat was originally obtained at the conclusion of the last game of the 1982 season during a ceremony to honor the final appearance of manager Earl Weaver. The lucky recipient asked Ripken for his hat, which Ripken declined but gave the fan this bat instead. Notarized letter from the original owner and LOA from John Taube - PSA/DNA with a grade of GU 10.