This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/31/2016
"He was a mechanically perfect third baseman," legendary baseball executive Branch Rickey said of Pie Traynor upon his induction into the Hall of Fame. "A man of intellectual worth on the field of play."
Traynor was the premier third baseman of his era, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948, the first third baseman to receive the honor.
Traynor became Pittsburgh's full-time third baseman in 1922, then emerged as a star a year later, when he hit .338 with a league-leading 19 triples.
Offered is a professional model H&B Louisville Slugger dating to Pie Traynor's tenure with the Pittsburgh Pirates circa 1923-24. No model number present though faded side writing which appears to read "Pie Traynor 4-16-24" is present on the top of the barrel.
Due to the amount of use, the bat was most likely used during the 1923 season, or possibly earlier. As a favorite bat of Traynor’s, he returned the bat to Louisville Slugger for future models to be turned from this specimen.
1923 was a banner year for Traynor. He had a career high number of hits (208), homeruns (12), and triples, (19). It only makes sense that a bat which contributed to these career high totals was valued enough to be used as the template for future bats.
Bat currently measures 35", weighs 33 ounces and shows heavy use with ball marks, grain swelling/slight deadwood through the barrel & handle and a twice chipped knob.
The bat has been evaluated by both PSA/DNA hologram 1B11627 and MEARS. Both evaluators assigned the bat the grade of GU8 and MEARS A8. (93U0287)
LOA Troy Kinunen / MEARS