New York has always been the capitol of the baseball world, with the Yankees and Giants combining for twenty-two World Championships between the years 1903-1954. During that time the Brooklyn Dodger fans could only stand and watch the victory parades go by, comforted solely by the thought of 'wait til next year.' In 1955 however, as twilight encroached on the epic career of Jackie Robinson, 'next year' finally arrived, as the Dodgers captured their first World Championship in franchise history. The victory was made all the more sweet for Dodgers fans in that it came at the expense of their hated cross town rivals, the Yankees. Offered here is the greatest symbol we know of associated with that lone Dodgers championship season from their tenure in Brooklyn.
This astonishing artifact is Jackie Robinson’s 1955 World Series Hillerich & Bradsby Model R115 ash bat. As was customary, and verified by H&B factory records, only two World Series model bats were issued to players, with the offered specimen being the only known survivor of the pair received by Jackie Robinson. Measuring 34 1/2 inches and weighing 34.3 ounces, the uncracked blonde bat features bold and pronounced barrel stampings including “World Series 1955” above Jackie’s facsimile autograph and block-lettered "Brooklyn Dodgers." The bats presence at the 1955 Fall Classic is undeniable, though usage wear is very light. Some barrel scuffing, shallow nicks and surface wear are present, though there are no discernible ball marks.
In his only winning World Series, Robinson would score five runs, perhaps the most notable being a steal of home by Robinson in Game One, a moment frozen in time that rivals any in baseball lore for its iconic qualities (Yogi Berra’s furious protest of the umpire's declaration of "safe," still ensues 58 years later). Jackie Robinson, the man whose arrival on the scene only eight years previous had ended some sixty years of segregation in baseball, was also a catalyst for bringing Brooklyn a long-awaited World Series title.
This extraordinary baseball treasure defies hyperbole. Not only does it represent baseballs’ most transcendent pioneer, it is the ultimate embodiment of the most hallowed season in the history of the Dodgers franchise, a watershed moment that still resonates from the borough of Brooklyn to the coast of California. Prior to this offering this bat held a place of honor on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York for nearly a decade, where it was admired by untold thousands of baseballs fans.
Includes a LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA.