Beschreibung:

Ty Cobb 1925-28 H&B Professional Model Bat It's difficult to tell which is longer -- the list of records Ty Cobb left shattered when he retired from baseball, or the stories of his nastiness. "In legend I am a sadistic, slashing, swashbuckling despot who waged war in the guise of sport." Wrote Cobb, just before his death in 1961. He was possibly the only one not to believe the legend. Regardless of one's perception of his personality traits, his baseball accomplishments are fact, so told by the baseball record books that echo his name throughout. When he retired in 1928, he had set some 90 records. Seven decades later, he still holds many. Nobody has yet bettered his .367 lifetime average, his 12 batting titles, his hitting at least .320 for 23 consecutive seasons, or his 2,245 runs scored. He led the American League in slugging percentage and hits eight times, in steals six, in runs five, in triples and RBI four, in doubles three, and in homers once. Three times he batted above .400 and in one four-year span he averaged .401. Gone, though, is the treasured record of 4,191 hits, broken by Pete Rose 57 years later. From the final years of his storied career, as he was padding his cumulative offensive records, this bat was used by Cobb and still bears the telltale marks of his aggression. The H&B Ty Cobb signature model bat is uncracked with outstanding usage characteristics, including slight checking (grain separation) from repeated ball contact on the front and right barrel. Many ball marks are visible throughout and the right barrel has been scored. A moderate coat of vintage gripping substance remains on the handle. The quality of the wood is outstanding, though it appears as though some grain separation on the front and right barrel has been repaired. The labeling period can be pinpointed to 1925-28 when Cobb served the Tigers as both player and manager before transitioning to Philadelphia for his final two seasons. A bat used by the great Ty Cobb is a treasure in any form. The offered example is a superb specimen, evoking images of baseball's dark knight, staring down the pitcher with a menacing glare. LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA (Graded GU7).