On May 7, 2015, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez passed Hall of Famer Willie Mays on Major League Baseball’s all-time career home run list with his 661st round-tripper. Now playing in his 21st season of Major League Baseball and with more than 3,000 hits to his credit, he has certainly made a name for himself. In fact, if he continues to collect singles at his annual rate of 87 per season, he will likely crack the 2,000 mark by the start of the 2018 season. Now 40, he currently has tallied 1,796 singles overall. This lot includes the signed, game-used bat from which Rodriguez delivered his very first MLB hit (a single) back on July 9, 1994, as a member of the Seattle Mariners.
Rodriguez played in just 17 games that year as the campaign was cut short by MLB’s season-ending lockout that started on August 12. He made his major league debut as the team’s starting shortstop on July 8, 1994, at Fenway Park in Boston at just 18 years, 11 months, and 11 days of age. He was only the third 18-year-old MLB shortstop since 1900 and the youngest position player in Seattle Mariners’ history. His first MLB hit was a single off of Sergio Valdez on July 9 at Fenway Park. During his brief stint in the big leagues in ‘94, Rodriguez compiled a .204 batting average with 11 hits, two runs batted in and three stolen bases.
The 34.5” black Louisville Slugger Alex Rodriguez professional model (# C271) bat shows plenty of contact marks throughout the barrel accompanied by several cleat and bat rack marks. A three-inch crack on the handle is also quite evident. Rodriguez signed and inscribed the barrel of the bat in silver as follows: “1st M.L. Base Hit.” An accompanying Letter of Authenticity signed by Rodriguez from Seattle-based Mill Creek Sports notes this bat as the one Arod used to garner his first major league hit but misdates the event as "7/8/94." There is a strong likelihood that Rodriguez used this same bat for his big league debut on July 8th and again on the 9th at Fenway Park to collect his first hit - a single against Valdez. Nevertheless, this is the bat that started it all for the player that will forever be included in any discussion of baseball's all-time greatest players.
Includes Letter of Authenticity from Mill Creek Sports signed by Rodriguez. Also includes an additional LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA (GU9.5).