This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/22/2019
While Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were working their Bronx magic in the late 1920s to early 1930s, another superstar was emerging for the team that played just a few miles south. Standing just 5'9" and weighing 170 pounds he certainly didn't look like a long ball threat, oh but looks can be deceiving. Melvin Thomas Ott embarked on a 22-year career, all with the New York Giants, that gave the island of Manhattan a legend to compete with anyone the Yankees or Dodgers had to offer. Granted a tryout by John McGraw in 1926, Ott's unorthodox leg kick provided an extra boost of torque to his powerful left-handed swing, compelling McGraw to keep the 17-year old on the big league roster and out of the hands of opposing teams and minor league managers tempted to tinker with his awkward style. Two years later, Ott became the starting right fielder and the cornerstone of the Giants' lineup. A six-time National League home run champion who led the Giants in round trippers every year from 1928-1945, "Master Mel" was an all-star for 11 consecutive seasons, becoming the first National Leaguer and just the third player in baseball history behind Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx to reach the 500 home run mark. Ott was also the first player in National League history to post eight consecutive 100 RBI seasons and served as player/manager for the Giants from 1942-1948. Having passed as the young age of 49, killed in a car accident in Mississippi in 1958, Ott is widely seen as the most obscure of the 500 home run club members with everything from his autograph to his personal effects and game-used material coming at a high premium. The featured bat is an extremely rare find, even more so than gamers used by the great Babe Ruth. This is a Louisville Slugger that measures 35" and weighs 33 1/2 ounces, a sizable club for his diminutive stature, and matches the specifications for the model "O2" factory orders that Ott began placing as early as 1938. Factoring in consideration to the centerbrand and "Powerized" wording, this bat can be pinpointed to the 1943 season, a campaign in which Ott hit 18 home runs, all in the friendly confines of the Polo Grounds. Uncracked, the bat displays plenty of game use with ball, bat rack, and cleat marks. A small chip in the knob has been professionally repaired. An absolutely incredible, museum-worthy stick and the scarcest example of any member of the famed 500 home run club. LOA from John Taube - PSA/DNA with a GU 8 grade.