The Finest 1948 Ted Williams Game Used Louisville Slugger Bat PSA DNA 9.5
$149,995.00
The reverence surrounding Ted Williams' name is almost myth-like and extends to any game-used baseball bat wielded by one of the game's greatest hitters. A Hall of Fame inductee in 1966, Williams' greatness is multi-layered: a six-time batting champion, a two-time Triple Crown winner, an ace fighter pilot and hero of the Second World War, a two-time American League MVP, and the last player in the history of baseball to bat .400 throughout an entire season. Williams has, and always will be, one of the finest ballplayers in the sport's history, a true hitting mastermind with a career .344 batting average and 521 home runs.
Presented is a Hillerich & Bradsby W155 professional model baseball bat used by Williams during the 1948 MLB season. Already with three Batting Titles to his name, Williams decided to add another by finishing the season with a .369 batting average in 137 games with a league-leading 44 doubles and 126 walks. With 25 home runs and 127 RBIs, Williams also led the junior circuit in on-base percentage (.497), and slugging percentage (.615), which would have amounted to a league-leading 1.112 on-base plus slugging percentage had the sabermetric been tracked at the time.
The offered bat is 35 inches in length, weighs 31.8 ounces, and exhibits evidence of outstanding use with a slight handle crack that has been repaired. The barrel is packed with ball marks, stitch impressions, cleat divots and green rack streaks, while the handle demonstrates the scoring and pine tar typical of Williams' meticulous approach to bat preparation. The upper handle displays a moderate coat of pine tar and signs of scraping; PSA/DNA notes, "The use of a grip substance professed to be a mixture of olive oil and rosin was also used by Williams. When the substance would build up on Ted's bats, John Orlando Junior, or his dad John Orlando Sr., Boston Red Sox Clubhouse Manager, would scrape it off, and Ted would continue to use the bat."
Full letter LOA from PSA/DNA (1B25408), who have awarded the bat the very high grade of GU 9.5 for game use. The letter concludes that the bat derives from the estate of Arthur McAvoy, a passionate Red Sox fan who developed a friendship with Williams that lasted throughout their lives.
Bin #S
