Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
Taveras wound up the 2013 season as the best prospect in the Cardinals system. He hit above the .300 mark each of the 6 summers he spent in the minors and everyone agreed he was a sure-bet to make the big club for 2014. The sky was the limit for the kid from The Dominican Republic and his '14 rookie year didn't disappoint. Unfortunately a tragic accident shortly after the season ended took Taveras' life. This bat was used by the young slugger during his final season in the minor leagues. The Chandler OT19 bat shows excellent use with a slight crack in the lower handle. The bat shows excellent use with several ball marks with stitch impressions and blue ink transfers. There are cleat marks on the barrel and a moderate coat of Mota Stick is present on the upper and lower handle. The length and weight "33.5/31" are stamped into the knob end and Taveras' number 18 is hand written in black marker on both ends. Taveras has signed the bat's barrel in black marker, making this a truly desirable gamer from the young star tragically cut down in his prime. Letter of Authenticity 1B09016 from PSA/DNA who has graded this bat a GU 8.5. This lot is part of the Oscar Taveras collection and all consignor proceeds in excess of minimum bid will be donated directly to the Taveras family.