This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/22/2019
Though he never received the same fanfare as fellow sluggers of the same time period, Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew put together an impressive body of work that easily helped him gain access to both the 500 home run club and the Hall of Fame. A six-time American League home run champion, Killebrew finished in the top three in MVP voting four times, winning the award in 1969. But it wasn't just the 573 lifetime homers that wowed fans around the American League; his strong body, compact swing and quick hands sent balls over the fence with distances that could easily challenge any Mickey Mantle round-tripper. Killebrew hit the longest measured home runs at Minnesota's Metropolitan Stadium (520 ft.) and Baltimore's Memorial Stadium (471 ft), and was the first of just four batters in major league history to hit a baseball over the left field roof at Detroit's Tiger Stadium. The featured H&B model D2 bat is 32 ounces, 35 inches and was used by Killebrew early in his career, likely during the 1959 or 1960 season as indicated by both the centerbrand and Killebrew himself, signing the bat in bold blue marker with an inscription ,"My 1950s Gamer, 573 HR's HOF 1984." Game used Killebrew bats are tough to find but examples from the 1950s are particularly difficult as he rarely saw the field from 1954-58, closing out the decade with just 800 at-bats. Tremendous game use is displayed on this war club, heavily covered in pine tar with a repair to the cracked handle. The barrel shows a heavy smattering of ball and stitch marks and there are blue bat rack streaks visible as well, completely expected of a hitter deemed "The Killer." Killebrew's #3 is on the knob in black marker. A fantastic piece of baseball history with textbook characteristics of a Harmon Killebrew gamer. LOA from John Taube - PSA/DNA with a grade of GU 8.5.