Winter Premier Auction 2017
Wed, Jan 4, 2017 04:00PM EST - Sat, Jan 21, 2017 11:00PM EST
Timed Auction
Lot 445
1947 JOE DIMAGGIO H&B PROFESSIONAL MODEL BAT USED IN THE 1947 WORLD SERIES (MEARS A10, PSA/DNA GU 10)
Unsold
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
| $300,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
In 1947 the Yankees road to the World Championship went through Brooklyn. The subway series pitted New York led by MVP Joe DiMaggio against Brooklyn and a rookie named Jackie Robinson. The Yankees prevailed in seven games with DiMaggio hitting home runs in games 3 and 5. Offered here is Joe DiMaggio's beautiful Hillerich & Bradsby model D29L professional model bat from that historic series. Uncracked and showing evidence of light use (typical of bats made late in the season for World Series use) it exhibits ball marks visible on the left barrel and scuffing to the right back and front barrels. The model number (D29L) is stamped into the knob.
The bat is accompanied by two letters of provenance outlining the history of the bat. The first letter is dated Dec. 23 1991 from AI Curcio of Center Field Collectibles; the second is from Mr. Joseph Cortese nephew of Mr. Joseph Delle Fave the original owner of the bat. Both letters recount how Mr. Delle Fave obtained the bat on Columbus Day 1947. Mr. Delle Fave suffered a tragic accident in 1936 at the age of fourteen in a bakery shop explosion which resulted in the loss of both of his arms. On Columbus Day 1947 the town of Union City New Jersey sponsored a testimonial dinner on behalf of Mr. Delle Fave. Joe DiMaggio was scheduled to attend the dinner but forced to cancel at the last minute. Mr. Jackie Farrell who was employed in a public relations capacity with the New York Yankees attended on Mr. DiMaggio's behalf. Mr. Farrell hand delivered this DiMaggio bat personally to Mr. Delle Fave and indicated that the bat had been used on the fourth day of October 1947 a game in which Mr. DiMaggio homered at Ebbets Field in a 2-1 Yankees win over the Dodgers. Mr. Farrell who was also a writer for the "Hudson Time Dispatch" authored an article pertaining to Mr. Delle Faves' accident in 1936 as well as the dinner in 1947.
A critical factor in verifying that this Joe DiMaggio pro model bat could have been used in the 1947 World Series is establishing the date the bat was manufactured. Specific attributes of this bat including the oversized knob length and weight perfectly match bats ordered by DiMaggio on Sept 17'h and Sept 25'h 1947 according to H&B factory records. Although not noted on the manufacturer's ordering record the Sept 25'h order for 2 bats is DiMaggio's World Series order. Made of the finest quality ash the bat has been immaculately preserved in virtually the same state as it was when it last left the hands of The Yankee Clipper after vanquishing their Brooklyn rivals. Length 35 3/4 inches. Weight 34 ounces.
LOAs from MEARS (Graded A10) and John Taube of PSA/DNA (Graded GU 10) both of which support its use in the 1947 World Series.
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