It was Friday night, September 30, 2016. Toronto was at Fenway to start the last weekend series of the season. Boston had clinched a playoff spot and this last series was slated to be the final regular season bow of the game’s greatest designated hitters and Red Sox hero, David Ortiz. The game began with Rick Porcello giving up a meaningless single in Toronto’s half of the first. In Boston’s half, Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada whiffed Dustin Pedroia before giving up a walk to Brock Holt. He then got Mookie Betts to pop up for the second out. Then Big Papi came to bat. The Fenway faithful gave it up for their aging slugger, filling the ballpark with a tremendous roar. This show of love for Big Papi may have unnerved Estrada because he unleashed a wild pitch. Holt scampered to second and now Boston had a runner in scoring position and the man you want at the plate in that situation standing in the box. With the count 2 and 2, Ortiz got ahold of one and sent Estrada’s pitch into left field, easily scoring Holt as the stands went crazy. This would prove to be the last regular season RBI single David Ortiz would record.

After the season ended, Big Papi would pack up his locker and head off into retirement, the owner of a Hall of Fame stat line of .286 lifetime average, 541 home runs, 2,472 hits and 1,768 RBI, the last of which was hit using this bat. Comprehensive research by Resolution Photomatching has concluded that this bat matches the photographs and film footage taken from that 1st inning RBI single. A signed Letter of Authenticity from Ortiz corroborates the bat’s significance. The two-tone Marucci Papi34 Custom Cut III-LDM model bat shows moderate game use. There are several distinctive ball marks on the barrel that include white leather scuffs and ink transfers. There are several cleat marks present and both ends show abrasions from contact with the ground. The handle has been taped in Big Papi’s custom Lizard Skin tape and a moderate coat of pine tar applied. The knob end has been stamped with the bat’s length and weight codes as well as Ortiz’s number “34.” Topping off this incredible “Last Career Hit and RBI” bat is the presence of Ortiz’s signature on the barrel in silver, along which he has inscribed, “9/30/16 Game Used Last regular season hit-RBI.” Taken along with the concrete photo matching, this is a Hall of Fame-worthy bat from one of the Red Sox’s most beloved players. This bat comes with a signed LOA from David Ortiz, an MLB Authenticated hologram (JC047503) and a LOA from Resolution Photomatching, who have photo matched this bat to the September 30, 2016 game.

Auction Notepad