The bat Pete Rose used when he broke Ty Cobb’s career singles record—one carrying evidence of corking according to PSA authenticators– sold for $67,562 late Saturday night at Lelands.
The bat has been signed by Rose and carries an engraved notation of the record from July of 1984.
Playing for the Montreal Expos, Rose singled off former teammate Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies and then left the game for a pinch runner, his former Reds teammate Dan Driessen.
The bat handle carries Rose’s signature tape job. The barrel end appears to show a small circular cut, concealed by a handwritten “14” (Rose’s uniform number) in large, thick black magic marker.
In its letter of authenticity, PSA bat authenticators Vince Malta and John Taube noted that the top of the barrel had “been drilled and filled,” presumably with cork. “We have not had the bat x-rayed, which would confirm the corking,” their letter of opinion reads. “However, the alteration is identical to other player corked bats that have been confirmed by x-ray.”
A Montreal carpenter now living in Palm Beach, FL, says he corked bat for Rose and a few other players in the mid-1980s. In 2001, former Rose associate Tommy Giosa said Rose had used corked bat while chasing Cobb’s all-time hits record at age 44 in 1985.
In 2010, a northern California collector came into possession of a corked Rose bat. The story garnered national attention and sent a couple of other collectors to x-ray machines but those came back normal.
According to Lelands, “Pete Rose gave this bat, along with other items, to longtime friend and coach, Billy DeMars. The chain of possession went from Pete Rose, to Billy DeMars, to the memorabilia marketplace.”
Rose finished his career with 3,215 singles in 3,562 career games played and 4,256 career hits–all major league records.
Also sold in the Lelands auction was an early career Johnny Bench catcher’s glove signed and inscribed “Catch Ya Later” from Bench’s personal collection ($35,328).
Other items included:
*Ken Griffey Jr. 199th home run bat originally given to Charlie Sheen $34,122
*1909-11 E90-1 Joe Jackson rookie card PSA 1 $29,905
*Single signed Babe Ruth baseball $28,072
*1956 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8.5 $25,462
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