No man besides maybe Babe Ruth could come through in the clutch like Kirk Gibson. Gibson has gone down in baseball history with two dramatic moments: his Game 5 home run in the 1984 World Series and his game winner in the opening game of the 1988 World Series. This Louisville Slugger S216 dates from the later era when Gibson's heroics brought Los Angeles their first World Series victory in almost a decade. This bat has a labeling period of 1988-89 and displays outstanding game use with a crack on the handle that has been repaired. The barrel has ball marks and stitch impressions with black ink transfers and cleat imprints. A moderate coat of pine tar is on the handle and a heavier coat is on the lower handle. Gibson’s number “23” is written on the knob and top barrel end in black marker. This bat comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (1B26470) for the game use and has been given a very high grade of GU 9.5.