After 13 long years, Hall of Famer and baseball’s Ironman Cal Ripken, Jr. finally made it back to the postseason. Finishing in second place in the American League East with an 88-74 record, the Orioles qualified as the AL Wild Card and took on the AL Central Champion Cleveland Indians in the Division Series. Baltimore would dispatch the Indians in four games of the best-of-five series and advanced to the ALCS to take on their division rival New York Yankees. The ALCS was remembered for a young Yankees fan reaching over the fence to catch a Derek Jeter fly ball that Orioles outfielder Hector Carrasco had lined up. However, umpire Rich Garcia, who was standing on the warning track, ruled Jeter’s fly ball a home run and the Yankees would go on to win the series in five games.

Offered here is one of the sticks used by Ripken during the 1996 postseason against both the Indians and Yankees. This Louisville Slugger P72 model bat displays outstanding game use with a large crack on the handle. The barrel has numerous ball marks and cleat imprints. Ripken has added a piece of athletic tape that runs along the barrel and handwrote “Gamer in Playoffs Clev & NY Cone Broke It On Single ‘96”. Based on Ripken’s inscription, his broken bat hit came in either the 4th or 6th inning of Game 2 as Cone only pitched in that game during the series, pitching six innings. Ripken got his two hits in that game during those two at-bats. Ripken has also signed this bat in bold silver marker on the barrel, inscribing “1996 ALDS + ALCS”. A wonderful playoff gamer from Ripken and this comes directly from the personal collection of Cal Ripken, Jr, with a signed LOA from Cal accompanying this bat. Additionally, there is a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B24791) for the game use and has been given a very high grade of GU 8.

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