This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/8/2018
Offered is a professional model Johnny Bench game used H&B Louisville Slugger dating to the outset of his career with the Cincinnati Reds circa 1967-68. Certainly early, a 19 year old bench made his major league debut with the team using this exact model, length, and weight bat. During his rookie season, Bench appeared in 26 games, and hit his first major league homerun.
The next season, 1968, Bench had a break out season. Appearing in 154 games, Bench had 155 hits, 15 homeruns, and an average of .275. For his efforts, he was elected to the All Star game, won a gold glove award, and was named the rookie of the year. Many of the offensive feats from his first two seasons were almost certainly used with this very bat.
Model R161 stamped on knob along with Johnny's uniform number 5 written in black marker. The model R161 with the 1965-1968 overall label period matching this bat’s length and weight appears in Bench’s personal H&B bat ordering records numerous times during the 1967 and 1968 seasons, documenting the fact this bat dates to his rookie era. The number five was written in Bench’s own hand and is worn from numerous plate appearances and handling.
Bat currently measures 35.5", weighs 32 ounces and shows heavy use with ball marks, bat rack marks, pine tar. With respect to the game use, heavy is not strong enough to describe the pounding this bat has seen. It is almost certain Bench faced Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Steve Blass, Bill Hands, Juan Marichal, and all of the other National League pitching aces using this bat, as the degree was created from the duration of multiple games and plate appearances. Arguably the finest example of game use ever found on a Bench rookie era bat. With respect to grading, MEARS authenticator Troy R. Kinunen awarded this bat the grade of a MEARS A9.5, with only a half point deduction for the game related chip on the knob. (13O0508)
(13O0508)
(MEARS Auction LOA)