Back to home page | 
Listed in category:
This listing has ended.
Item:1961 Mickey Mantle World Series Bat Auction Catalog

1961 Mickey Mantle World Series Bat Auction Catalog

October 1 Heritage Sports Cards & Memorabilia Auction

Item condition:--
Ended:Sep 22, 200908:30:36 PDT
Quantity:
7 available
Please enter a quantity of $quantity$ or less
Please enter a quantity of 1
Price:US $5.00
Shipping:FREE shipping Standard Flat Rate Shipping ServiceSee more services 

Country:
ZIP Code:
Quantity:
(available quantity 7)
Service and other details:
Service
Estimated delivery*
Price
Standard Flat Rate Shipping Service
varies
Free
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and the payment method selected. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.

 See discounts 

 |  See all details
Estimated delivery time varies
Returns:
3 day money back, buyer pays return shipping | Read details
Coverage:
Pay with and your full purchase price is covered | See terms

A reserve price is the minimum price the seller will accept. This price is hidden from bidders. To win, a bidder must have the highest bid and have met or exceeded the reserve price.

 
Other item info
Item number:350251173765
Item location:Dallas, Texas, United States
Ships to:United States
Payments:
History:3 sold
 Share PrintReport item
 Description Shipping and payments
Special introductory offer. Cover Price: $50
Offered is one full-color printed catalog for Heritage Auction Galleries 2009 October Signature Sports Memorabilia Auction #716 currently open for bidding, and closing October 02, 2009. Among the 1305 lots presented within this catalog is the following:

1961 Mickey Mantle World Series Game Used Bat. Just one week after Roger Maris' fifty-ninth home run of the season helped clinch the New York Yankees' twenty-sixth American League flag, three bats left the Hillerich & Bradsby factory en route to Mickey Mantle's locker at Yankee Stadium. The September 27th, 1961 ordering record was somewhat of an anomaly, and top bat experts John Taube and Vince Malta note that this is the first and only time they had encountered an order for three World Series bats, as opposed to the standard pair. But why would this be?

First, it's important to note that, at thirty-six inches of length, the presented bat is a variation on the standard thirty-five inches of Mantle's other model B220's. But Taube and Malta stress that this is clearly a professional model, made of first grade Northern White Ash, with deep barrel branding consistent with H&B pro standards. A secondary letter from MEARS authentication firm likewise concedes that thirty-six inches was unusual for the model, but notes that Mantle had ordered bats of that length in 1960, and that the deep lace impressions and ball marks on both sides of the barrel was consistent with switch hitter use.

What neither letter notes, but a fact that seems particularly pertinent here, is that Mantle was far from healthy when the 1961 Series arrived, having been sidelined in the final month of the season with a pulled arm muscle and a gruesome hip abscess resulting from a shot intended to cure a viral infection. Understanding that this unfortunate laundry list of ailments might affect his swing in the Series against Cincinnati, it's not much of a stretch to assume that the unprecedented ordering of a third World Series bat of a different length (but the same thirty-three ounce weight) would have been a calculated decision by Mantle.

This seems far more plausible than the notion that the third bat was simply a mistake, and that the factory workers at H&B figured they may as well send it along anyhow. MEARS would appear to agree that the order was a calculated decision, assigning a perfect base grade of 5 for its match to factory records and a perfect 3 for use, resulting in a grade of A8, the best possible without first or second party provenance.

There is no need to spend any significant amount of time to explain why a Mantle bat dating to the 1961 season would carry enormous historical significance. Any collector needing an education on this topic would not deserve to own such a special treasure. When the old ballpark in the Bronx is finally reduced to rubble, this bat will survive as one of its most poignant mementos, recalling a joy and purity of the game that we may have lost forever. LOA from PSA/DNA. LOA from MEARS.

(82073)

Please note that this auction is NOT for "1961 Mickey Mantle World Series Game Used Bat....". This auction is only for the catalog in which it appears.

Shipping and handling
Item location: Dallas, Texas, United States
Shipping to: United States
Quantity:
Change country:
ZIP Code:
 
Shipping and handling
To
Service
Estimated delivery*
Free shipping
United States
Standard Flat Rate Shipping Service
Varies
Seller ships within 1 day after receiving cleared payment.
*The estimated delivery time is based on the seller's handling time, the shipping service selected, and when the seller receives cleared payment. Sellers are not responsible for shipping service transit times. Transit times may vary, particularly during peak periods.
Domestic handling time
Will usually ship within 1 business day of receiving cleared payment.
Return policy
Item must be returned within
Refund will be given as
Return policy details
3 days after the buyer receives it
Money Back
The buyer is responsible for return shipping costs.

Payment details
Payment methodPreferred/AcceptedBuyer protection on eBay
Credit or debit card through PayPal
Accepted
Pay with and your full purchase price is covered | See terms
Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.
Back to home page | Sell one like thisReturn to top

About eBay | Announcements | Security Center | Resolution Center | eBay Toolbar | Policies | Government Relations | Site Map | Help
Copyright © 1995-2009 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy.
eBay official time