Baseball’s Iron Man Cal Ripken, Jr. played his final MLB season in 2001, ending a career that saw him collected over 3,000 hits and 431 home runs. Ripken, baseball’s all-time leader in consecutive games started, played in his 19th All-Star Game in 2001, hitting a home run off Chan Ho Park and earning All-Star Game MVP honors. In 2007, Ripken was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot, collecting 98.5% of the vote. Presented here is a Louisville Slugger P72 model bat that comes directly from the personal collection of Cal Ripken, Jr. and was used for the final time in his first at-bat of the August 3rd, 2001 game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Played at SkyDome in Toronto, Ripken went 1-for-3 in the Orioles 10-1 loss and in the top of the 2nd inning, Ripken used this bat to ground out to second base off Blue Jays’ pitcher Kelvim Escobar. This bat displays outstanding game use with a slight crack on the handle. There are ball marks and white leather scuffs present on the barrel and Ripken added athletic tape that wraps around the upper barrel and wrote in black marker “Broken Aug 3 01 1st AB Blue Jays Escobar”. This bat comes with a signed LOA from Cal Ripken, Jr., plus a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B19806) for the game use and have given this bat the highest possible grade of GU 10.

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