Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
The Anaheim Angels drafted Trout after his high school graduation in 2009. Despite his youth, it was evident to all who watched him that Mike Trout possessed that certain “something” that made him stand out. After his first pro season in A ball Trout was picked as the MLB Number One Prospect. The Angels invited him to spring training in 2011 to see him up close and no one was disappointed. Due to his still tender age of 19, Trout was sent back to the minors for some more seasoning but got called up to The Show in late August. In his first game Trout hit a home run and followed it up a few days later by hitting two out of the park in the same game. This is one of the bats Trout used during that first spring training with the Angels. The used visible on its barrel no doubt impressed the Angels management watching the kid demonstrate his prodigious talents. The Old Hickory J143 bat shows outstanding use with a handle crack. Many ball marks with stitch impressions with blue ink transfers coat the barrel. The impression from a weighted batting donut is found on the barrel along with cleat imprints and green bat rack streaks. A moderate coat of Mota Stick is evident on the handle. The knob end and lower handle has been wrapped with adhesive tape to enhance the grip. The barrel band carries several factory stamps that date this bat to Mike Trout’s first spring training with the Angels: the number “1101085MT4” reveals it was manufactured in January 2011 as work order 085, has Trout’s “MT” initials and the “4” meaning it is the fourth bat in his order. Trout’s number “90” which he wore only during the 2011 Angels spring training has been hand written in black marker on the knob end. To make this extremely early Mike Trout bat even more unique, the Angels star has signed its barrel adding “2011 G/U” in blue marker. One of the earliest documented game used bats from the game’s most exciting young stars. Letter of Authenticity 1B09365 from PSA/DNA who have awarded this bat and almost perfect score of GU 9.5.