Lot 178
  • 178

George Sisler 1922-25 H&B Side Written Professional Model Bat

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description

George Sisler was the greatest St. Louis Brown of them all and during his 15 year career, rivaled Rogers Hornsby as baseball's premier hitter. Like Babe Ruth, he came to the majors as a lefthanded pitcher. Like Ruth, his hitting was too phenomenal to be restricted to a pitcher's schedule. Although his career ended in 1930, from 1920 until 2004, Sisler held the MLB record for most hits in a single season. The Baseball Hall of Fame elected Sisler among their inaugural inductees in 1939. Sisler's Hillerich & Bradsby signature model bat dates from the 1922-1925 period. It shows evidence of outstanding use with a handle crack and some checking (grain separation) from repeated ball contact on the back barrel that has been repaired with nails. Measuring 35.75 inches and weighing 33.3 ounces (lighter than a typical Sisler bat from the era), it shows many ball marks and cleat marks throughout. Factory side writing can be detected on the barrel, but is too faint to be legible. Fans and sports writers reaffirmed Sisler's legacy in 1999, when Sisler received the 8th most votes of any first baseman in a poll for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA (graded GU6).