October Legends Closing November 1
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/2/2014
From Mike Schmidt’s own personal collection, the Philadelphia Phillies’ all-time leading slugger and one of the early/modern members of the 500 home run club, “Schmitty” clubbed no.’s 518, 519, and 520 with this 35-inch, 32-ounce Rawlings Adirondack Pro Ring Big Stick Mike Schmidt Professional Model bat.
Schmidt connected off St. Louis Cardinals hurler Greg Mathews for number 518 in the first inning of the Phillies 8-4 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on August 14, 1987 and knocked numbers 519, 520 and a run scoring single with the same Big Stick off Cardinal pitcher Bob Forsch again in St. Louis the next day. Number 520 placed him just behind Ted Williams and Willie McCovey, in 11th place on the All-Time list. Schmidt would pass Williams and McCovey a couple of weeks later and finish the season with 35 home runs and a career total of 530 just four shy of Jimmie Foxx and six shy of Mickey Mantle; both of whom he would move in front of during the 1988 season.
This period piece of 1980's home run history is inscribed with “.518.519.520” in bold black Sharpie just above the label and is cracked at the top of the handle. Bat shows serious game use with plenty of ink transfers, stitch impressions, grain swelling, pine tar from handle to label, green bat rack paint on end of barrel. Black marker numbering and perhaps initials and a “32 ½” weight inscription are on the knob end overlapping the “154A” and “166 7” engraved specifics. The barrel has been covered in a white tube sock that also has a “518-519 520” inscription in blue Sharpie; comes with a letter of authenticity from Mike Schmidt. Comes with a notarized letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA grading the bat GU-9.5.