The bat used by Pete Rose to become baseball’s all-time hits leader is back on the market.
Heritage Auctions is offering the black Mizuno stick in its February Platinum Auction. The current high bid is $220,000 but expectations are it could reach $600,000 or more.
The 34” bat is inscribed, signed and dated by Rose in silver Sharpie. It also comes with a copy of the original signed letter from Rose and the man who originally purchased both items from Rose. It’s been photo-matched to video and images from that night.
Graded GU10 by PSA/DNA, the bat was crafted specifically for Rose’s chase of Cobb’s 58-year-old record as a model “PR4192” by the Japanese sporting goods company.
The bat has been sold at auction before, most recently in September 2017, at a price of $257,231. The ball Rose knocked into left-center field that night went for $403,657 that same year.’
The chase toward Cobb’s record was one of the biggest baseball stories of the 1980s. The 44-year-old Rose finally reached his coveted milestone on September 11, 1985 with a single off Eric Show of the San Diego Padres. He retired the following season with 4,256 career hits, a record that still stands. Rose also still holds MLB marks for games played, at-bats and singles.
The bat is Lot #1 in the auction, which is set to close February 23.
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