Spring 2019 Premium Auction Closing May 11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/12/2019
After beginning his career with the San Francisco Giants, Matty Alou had nothing to show except a mediocre record as a utility outfielder. That changed after his 1966 trade to Pittsburgh. There, Alou worked with former Cardinals All-Star Harry Walker, and suddenly Matty Alou was one of the most feared hitters in the National League. In 1966, his first year with the Bucs, Alou won the batting crown with a .342 average. He followed that up with four more seasons of finishing in the top five in batting.
This offered Hillerich & Bradsby U1 model bat dates from Alou’s best years in Pittsburgh (1966-68). The bat is un-cracked and shows excellent use. There is some checking from repeated ball contact found on the back barrel and there is the impression of a weighted batting donut visible. Several ball marks with stitch impressions are on the barrel alongside green bat rack paint streaks. A light coat of pine tar is on the handle and Alou’s number “18” is hand written on the knob in black marker. The bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B12820) for the game use.