Winter Auction 2021 Ending March 6-7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/7/2021
Late in Hall of Famer and Ironman Cal Ripken, Jr’s career, he had reached just about every milestone imaginable throughout his storied career. Ripken, of course, already surpassed Lou Gehrig’s consecutive game streak, had won a World Series with his Baltimore Orioles and was a two-time American League MVP. In 1999, Ripken became the first primary shortstop to hit 400 home runs and late season back surgery had prevented him from reaching another milestone – 3,000 hits.
Ripken entered the April 15th, 2000 game against the Minnesota Twins needing just three hits to reach the historic milestone. In typical Ripken fashion, he delivered three hits to become the 24th member of the historic 3,000 hit club. Ripken’s single to center field of Twins’ pitcher Hector Carrasco sent the 18,745 paid crowd at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome into a prolonged standing ovation. Fittingly, the first person to greet Ripken as he reached first base was former playing teammate, Hall of Famer and 3,000 Hit Club member Eddie Murray, who was then serving as Orioles first base coach. Ripken was then mobbed by his teammates as part of the celebration.
Offered here is the very bat Ripken used to get his 3,000th career hit on that April 15th, 2000 game in Minnesota that comes directly from the personal collection of Cal Ripken, Jr. This Louisville Slugger P72 model bat displays excellent game use and is un-cracked. There are ball marks and white leather scuffs present on the barrel. The handle has a light coating of pine tar and Ripken has marked the occasion by applying white athletic tape around the end of the barrel and handwrote “Hit #3000 In Minnesota” in blue pen. Ripken also signed the barrel of this bat in bold silver marker and added the inscriptions “April 15, 2000” and “Bat used for 3000th Hit”. A truly historic bat from one of baseball’s greatest players tied to a specific event – and not just any event, but the rarity of reaching 3,000 hits. This bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B24814) for the game use and has been given the highest possible grade of GU 10, plus a signed LOA from Cal Ripken, Jr. stating that this bat was used for his 3,000th hit.