As far as baseball legends go, no one - with the exception of Babe Ruth - can compare to Ty Cobb. In two decades spent with Detroit, 1906-1926, Cobb AVERAGED .370! Even at the tail end of career when he was in his mid-30’s, Cobb remained one of the most feared hitters in the American League. This tremendous game used bat dates from Cobb’s last eight years in the Majors, all but two spent as the Tigers player-manager. Although he was being eclipsed by younger stars like Ruth and Gehrig, the Georgia Peach was still able to bat .378 and .339 at the age of 38 and 39. He retired for a season, then reemerged in 1927 as a member of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. He picked up where he left off, hitting a robust .357 and .323 for Mack. Cobb retired at the end of 1928, aged 41 and owner of a .366 lifetime average - still the record.

     Cobb’s Hillerich & Bradsby bat shows heavy game use with many ball marks with stitch impressions visible on the barrel. The handle is un-cracked and there is a slight amount of dead wood and checking from repeated ball contact. The bat weighs 35.5 ounces and measures 35 inches in length, both within the acceptable dimensions for 1921-28 era Cobb bats. Multiple cleat marks can be seen through the surface of the bat, along with outline of previously applied tape to enhance the grip - both traits you want to see on a late-career Cobb bat. The bat has taken on a golden brown patina over the decades, making this a very visually appealing bat. The bat comes with a full A7 LOA from MEARS (314604) for the game use. We sold a similar bat in our January 2017 auction for $46,800 and this one shows better use in our opinion.