This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/29/2019
Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew played 19 seasons in the majors, splitting his tenure between the Minnesota Twins (12 seasons) and California Angels (seven). A five-time American League batting champ and 1977 A.L. MVP, Carew retired following the 1985 MLB season with a career batting mark of .328. This lot features a Rod Carew Louisville Slugger professional model C243 bat used between 1977 and ’79, a three-year stretch in which Carew recorded 557 hits including a career-best 239 base knocks in 1977.
The 35", 33.8 oz. bat exhibits evidence of excellent use with a handle crack. Several ball marks are visible on the right, left and back barrel. The lower handle has been taped approximately 4.25" in a spiral pattern to enhance the grip. There is a heavy coat of pine tar on the handle and the knob has been blacked out with marker. According to bat expert John Taube, this particular C243 bat (a 1/2" shorter than his norm with a cupped end) may have been sent to Carew as a sample bat that he ended up using for batting practice. Carew has signed just below his engraved name on the barrel in 6-7/10 black marker. Includes LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA (1B17879) (GU) as well as a full LOA from PSA/DNA for the autograph (AG01607).