Opening Day Auction 2014
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/26/2014
Elston Howard was a great catcher for the late-1950s/mid-1960s New York Yankees, and won the 1963 American League MVP. It was during this period after he won the MVP which had Rawlings issue this Louisville Slugger decal bat via its sales reps. This 33.75 inch, 30 ounce bat was used by Rawlings sales reps to promote their line of sporting goods, of which Howard was one of many “Advisory Staff” members. The center brand features a bold H&B Louisville Slugger imprint, while the barrel has a head decal image of Howard with his facsimile signature, with the words “MEMBER, ADVISORY STAFF” and “Rawlings SPORTING GOODS COMPANY” below. The decal grades out minimally NM/MT with nary a scratch or missing paint, while the bat itself contains a few dings and nicks. It is unusual both sporting goods manufacturers would band together for this promotion, as each produced bats for the major league players. This is the first bat of this nature we have ever seen, and could find no others which have ever been auctioned. We also believe this had to be issued from 1964-1967, after Howard won the 1963 MVP and before he left to play for the Boston Red Sox in 1967, but most likely 1964. Why wouldn’t you then use Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays or some other future Hall of Famer? Very rare 1960s decal bat, the first we have ever handled or seen.