Ted Williams 1955 All-Star H&B Game Bat (Graded A10)

Nobody was more dedicated to the art of putting bat on ball than Ted Williams, a human hitting machine equipped with near-perfect eyesight, lightning reflexes, powerful forearms and unnerving patience. The "Splendid Splinter" also came with a heavy dose of arrogance and self-confidence, the most conspicuous traits of a baseball maverick who terrorized American League pitchers from 1939-60. If Williams wasn't the greatest pure hitter of all time, an acclaim which he fervently sought, he certainly was of his era. But the self-disci­pline that so defined Williams the hitter often was lost on Williams the man. His feud with the media might have cost him three MVP awards - in 1941 when he posted baseball's last .400 average (.406) but lost out to New York's Joe DiMaggio; in 1942 and '47 when he won two Triple Crowns but lost out in voting to Yankees Joe Gordon and DiMaggio. The Williams bottom line still is filled with superlatives - two MVPs, six batting crowns, 2,654 hits, a .344 average, 521 home runs, four homer titles and five RBI crowns - numbers that could have been considerably higher if he had not lost four prime seasons to military service during World War II and the Korean War. In eighteen of Ted Williams' nineteen major league seasons he was voted to the American League All-Star team. This bat, one of the finest examples known, All-Star Game or otherwise, was used by Williams during the 1955 mid-summer classic held in Milwaukee's County Stadium. According to H&B factory records, this bat is the only one of its kind, shipped to Williams for the event on July 8, 1955. Measuring 35" and weighing 31.5 oz., the signature model W166 is ideal by every measure collector's use in assessing the quality of game used bat. Its markings are pronounced, including William’s facsimile signature on the barrel and custom notation "All-Star Game Milwaukee 1955" in block letters. The usage wear is extraordinary for an All-Star bat, with distinct stitch marks and grain swelling on the barrel suggesting it likely saw service even after its use in that game. A heavy application of pine tar remains on the uncracked handle. Overall, the bat's visual presentation is superb, remaining exactly as it was the last time it was brought to the plate by arguably baseball's greatest pure hitter. LOA from MEARS (A10).