October Legends and Americana Ending November 14th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/15/2015
Sometime in 1925 Connie Mack began hearing of a teenage mound of muscle breaking outfield fences in a little minor league circuit in Western Maryland. When the stories proved true, Mack bought the 17 year-old man-child and put him in a Philadelphia Athletics uniform. Mack broke the boy in gradually, playing him in the outfield, then catcher before installing him at first base. Even though not yet out of his teens, Foxx hit big league pitching at a .300 clip. This Hillerich & Bradsby bat was ordered and used by Foxx during the 1926 and 1927 seasons. Measuring 35 inches in length and 34.9 ounces, it's quite a club. The barrel exhibits many ball marks - it's awesome to think of a 19 year-old Jimmie Foxx using this bat to hit a ball thrown by Waite Hoyt or Stan Coveleski or Walter Johnson! The handle has been cracked and secured with clubhouse nails. As was the custom at the time, Foxx took the broken bat and sent it back to the factory in Louisville so it could be measure and weighted and exact copies made. This particular bat has "7-29-27" written in pencil on the barrel, the date it was received at the factory. The barrel's surface had been planed at one time to allow additional pencil notes but these have been lost to time. The bat can be dated to 1926-1927 through a few clues. The first is the spec's match what the factory records call his "6-25-26" model bat. His first order for that model was placed on that date and the last order was on May 28, 1927. A second clue is the center brand. This particular variation was used from 1925 to 1928. Jimmie Foxx signed his first signature model contract with Hillerich and Bradsby on June 11, 1926, so the bat dates after that day to July 29, 1927 when it was returned to the factory. It is obvious to state that any Jimmie Foxx game used bat is quite rare - but this one, dating to his earliest seasons in the majors is an extraordinary find. Letter of Authenticity (1B08619) from PSA/DNA.