Goldin Elite Auction Ending May 22-23
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/22/2021
This lot closes on May 22nd, 2021 at 10:00 PM EDT for initial bids.
For almost two decades Mike Schmidt was the National League’s best third baseman. From 1972 to 1989 the Phillies star drove in 1,595 Philadelphia runs, won six Silver Slugger Awards, played in 12 All-Star Games and took home 10 Gold Glove Awards for his play at third base. Along the way Mike Schmidt led the NL in home runs eight times, producing 548 home runs that made him the 14th player to join the 500 Home Run Club.
This bat was used by Schmidt during the 1986 season, which marked Mike’s return to third base after filling in at first for most of the previous season. Schmidt responded by hitting a league-leading 37 home runs and driving in 119 RBIs. This tremendous offensive output earned him the NL’s MVP Award, the first time in history a third baseman won the award three times in his career. Perhaps the most interesting detail found on this 1986 Schmidt gamer are the small bullet marks and numbers found along the top of the Rawlings center brand. These hand drawn markings signifying the seven home runs Schmidt hit with this bat. According to the numbers that are adjacent to each bullet, Schmidt slugged career homers number 475, 476, 477, 478, 480, 481 and 483 with this bat.
Schmidt began the season with 459 homers and his Rawlings 154A model bat shows outstanding use with a crack in the handle. There are many tremendous ball marks with stitch impressions covering the barrel along with ink transfers. Red and blue bat rack paint streaks are visible throughout and the finish has been removed from the lower barrel, a detail found on Mike Schmidt bats from this period. There is a moderate coat of pine tar stretching from the lower handle to the center brand. The barrel end shows three depression marks along with scuff marks and the knob has Schmidt’s number “20” and an “X” in black marker. An outstanding example of a Mike Schmidt home run attributed gamer with all the bells and whistles wanted on a well-used Hall of Fame bat. The bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B17108) for the game use and has been a very high grade of GU 9.5.