Mike Trout by-passed the college career route and signed with the Los Angeles Angels as the 25th round pick in the 2009 draft. The teenager quickly made a name for himself by hitting a lofty .360 in the Rookie League that summer. He steadily ascended the Angels farm system, impressing fans and the front office at every stop.

2011 found the 19-year-old Trout named the No. 1 prospect in all of minor league baseball. Beginning the season with the Arkansas Travelers of the AA Texas League, Trout hit .324 with 9 homers, 27 RBI and 28 stolen bases before the Angels called him up mid-season. The rest, as they say, is history. And that is the magic of this bat. Used by the teenage Mike Trout as a member of the Arkansas Travelers, it dates to a time when Mike Trout was an unproven prospect, swinging his hardest, trying to make The Show.

This was a time before he used the Old Hickory company bats exclusively, and Trout’s 2011 Rawlings Big Stick Pro Model bat shows awesome game use with some checking on the back barrel from repeated ball contact. The barrel is covered with ball marks and several tremendous white leather ball scuffs. There are cleat imprints visible along with abrasions from contact with other equipment. The handle has a moderate coat of pine tar and the lower handle and knob is wrapped in adhesive tape to enhance the grip. The model number “A889S” has been stamped into the knob and the future superstar has signed the barrel in silver marker, adding “G/U.” A rare opportunity to not only obtain a pre-rookie Mike Trout gamer, but also one of a different make than the 3-time AL MVP's trademark Old Hickory bat he is known for. This bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B05402) for the game use and a LOA from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A25403) for the signature.

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