This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/10/2022
Excellent August 3rd, 1997 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Louisville Slugger commemorative "black bat" (term used for these) from Fred Claire's personal collection. The brown-toned baseball bat remains in immaculate condition. The 1997 Hall of Fame inductees included Tommy Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Nellie Fox, and Willie Wells. Lasorda and Claire played extremely important roles in the Dodgers success throughout the 1980s. Please note that this bat has all facsimile signature stamps and not genuine autographs as is standard for "black bats."
Fred Claire was a longtime member of the Dodgers front office. He was the general manager of the team from 1987 to 1998. After a dismal 1987 season, Claire built the team into a contender overnight. After acquiring players like Kirk Gibson, the Dodgers won the 1988 World Series over the heavily favored Oakland A's in just five games. A portion of the proceeds from each of Claire's items in this auction will go to the City of Hope.