This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/20/2011
Throughout his career, Drysdale's command of home plate wasn't limited to his use of chin music. The pitching ace was also dangerous with a bat. For his career, Drysdale launched 29 homers (among pitchers, only Warren Spahn hit more), collected 218 hits and drove in 113. In 1965, Drysdale enjoyed his second (and last) 20-win season (23-12) en route to finishing fifth in the MVP balloting. But it was more than his pitching that made voters take notice. In his finest campaign ever at the plate, Drysdale hit .300 (39-for-130) with seven home runs! Offered here is one of the lesser-mentioned tools of Drysdale's trade: a bat used by the pitcher/slugger during his days as king of the hill. Factory records can pinpoint this this extremely rare signature model Hillerich & Bradsby D145 to a June 26, 1968 order, the only match for this model with thirty-five and a half inch length and thirty-three ounce weight. Light use is evident in ball and stitch marks on back barrel, blue bat rack streaks and light tar on the handle. Drysdale's number "53" appears in vintage marker on the barrel top. The uncracked artifact is among the finest of a handful of known game bats used by the greatest slugger ever to enter the Hall of Fame as a pitcher. Graded PSA GU 8.
LOA from PSA/DNA (GU8).