Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
Hall of Famer George Brett spent his entire 20+ seasons with the Kansas City Royals, amassing 3,154 hits, 317 home runs and lifetime batting average of .317, earning him enshrinement into Cooperstown on the first ballot in 1999 with 98.2% of the votes.
Brett, who was 39-years-old at the time, joined the 3,000 hit club on September 30, 1992 when he singled to right field off California Angels pitcher Tim Fortugno. Brett finished the night in style, going 4-5 with a run scored. That date also marked the 20th anniversary of Roberto Clemente's 3,000th and final hit.
This Official American League Bobby Brown Rawlings baseball was used during this game and Brett signed his name on the sweet spot in bold blue marker and inscribed "9/30/92". This baseball exhibits moderate, but appropriate game use and was properly prepped as evidenced by the even coating of mud. Lena Blackburne mud has been used by Major League Baseball for over 20 years and this baseball displays that. The manufacturing stampings on this ball are consistent with the 1990-1992 Rawlings American League stampings of that period and a major distinction is "Costa Rica" appears underneath "Rawlings" which was abandoned in 1993.
This item comes with a full LOA from Mears authenticating the use of this baseball during the manufacturing period of 1990-92 and the ball is encapsulated by PSA/DNA (81361499) for his signature with an "EX-MT 6" rating.