Goldin Elite Auction Ending May 22-23
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/23/2021
This lot closes on May 23rd, 2021 at 10:00 PM EDT for initial bids.
Coming directly from the personal collection of Hall of Famer and baseball’s Ironman Cal Ripken, Jr., this Louisville Slugger P72 model bat was used during the 1996 MLB season. Ripken used this bat for his 330th career home run when he took Oakland A’s pitcher Doug Johns deep during the May 25th, 1996 game at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Ripken, in the season after he broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak, put up a solid Triple Crown slash line of .278/26/102 as the Orioles made a surprising appearance in the American League Championship Series.
Ripken has marked this bat on the barrel with a piece of athletic tape and labeled it “SAT 5-25-96 JOHNS – 3rd AB” and “HR 2 AB”. Ripken hit his home run in his second at-bat (4th inning) of the game and then cracked this bat two innings later when he grounded out to third base. This bat displays outstanding game use and has the aforementioned crack on the handle. There are ball marks, blue ink transfers, white leather scuffs and slight checking or grain swelling from repeated ball contact present on the barrel. There is a light coating of pine tar on the upper handle and Ripken has signed this bat in silver marker on the barrel and inscribed “Career HR #330”. This bat comes directly from the personal collection of Cal Ripken, Jr. and a signed LOA from Cal will accompany this bat. Additionally, there is a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B19813) for the game use and has been given a very high grade of GU 9.