This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/23/2015
He was The Mechanical Man, a player whose remarkable consistency was equaled only by his self-effacing demeanor. He was so consistent he even played in every inning of the first six All-Star games as the starting second baseman for the American League and hit .500 in 20 at-bats. “Charlie says `hello' on Opening Day, `goodbye' on closing day, and in between hits .350,” said Hall of Fame player-manager Mickey Cochrane. Gehringer plied his impressive skills for 18 years with the Detroit Tigers. His lifetime average was .321, and he won the batting title in 1937, hitting .371. In three World Series he matched exactly his lifetime average, again posting .321.
Compared to those of his pre-war Hall of Fame contemporaries, Gehringer bats are quite scarce. This 35 inch, 32.6 ounce Hillerich & Bradsby pre model Charlie Gehringer professional model bat dates to 1939. That season, at age 36, Gehringer was still producing to the tune of a .325 average, 16 homers and 86 RBI. The un-cracked bat exhibits evidence of heavy use. Many ball marks and ball stitch impressions are visible on the right, left and back barrel. PSA/DNA has authenticated the bat and assigned a grade of GU7.5 which seems conservative given its outstanding usage traits and great display quality.
Includes LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA (GU 7.5)