For the purpose of evaluation, MEARS inspected this 1951-60 Louisville Slugger professional model game used bat issued to Artie Wilson during the time he played with the 1951 Giants and starred in the PCL. During this timespan, he played in 1951 with Minneapolis of the American Association, 1951 Ottawa of the International League, 1951 New York Giants, 1951 Oakland of the PCL, 1952-1954 Seattle of the PCL, 1955 Portland, 1956-1957 Seattle, and 1957 Sacramento. Currently this is the only example known.

"At the age of 28, Artie Wilson became the first African American to play full time for the Oaks. In 1949, he won the Pacific Coast League batting championship, and led the league not only in hitting (.348), but also in stolen bases (47). Of his 211 hits, 19 were doubles and 9 triples. The rest of his hits, singles, were usually to the opposite field. So much so that Seals' skipper Lefty O'Doul played all of his fielders on the left side whenever Artie came to bat. His roomie that year was Billy Martin.

In 1950, Artie batted .312 in 196 of the Oaks 200 games, with a career high 27 doubles, and led the league in both runs (168) and hits (264). In the field, he teamed up with former Giants second baseman Bobby Hofman, to form a solid double play combination. He went to the New York Giants in 1951, but only hit .182 in 22 at-bats, so the Giants optioned him out in mid-season. In return for sending Piper Davis on option to Ottawa, Oaks owner Brick Laws was successful in bringing Artie back to Oakland. In his first game back, Artie drew 8,640 fans to Emeryville, some 6,000 more than normal attendance for a weeknight. The 1951 season turned out to be a disappointment for Artie, however, with an average of .255 in 81 games for the Oaks. In 1952, he was sold to Seattle." Although the bat dates to after Artie Wilson’s career in the Negro Leagues, the bat does have a rare association with the 1951 New York Giants and the fabled PCL league.

Bat dates to the 1951-60 timeframe based on the design of the centerbrand.

Bat measures 34" and currently weighs 31.78 ounces. The model number, H4 is factory stamped on the knob. The H4 model was first used by Chick Hafey. Bat has a flare knob, tapered handle, round barrel, and is manufactured from professional grade black hickory. Bat has medium overall game use. The handle shows wear. A light scratch is found on the middle of the handle. Bat racks can be found on the bats’ surface. Above and below the barrel stampings are signs of light stitch marks. A 2x4 area of discoloration can be found on the reverse of the barrel. The factory stampings of the centerbrand, Powerized Logo, and player facsimile barrel signature are all deep and free of blemishes.

LOA MEARS/Troy R. Kinunen. Bat was awarded 5 points of matching factory records, 2 points of medium use, minus ½ for discoloration on reverse of barrel. Final Grade: MEARS A6.5

Lot consigned by Dave Bushing