4192 is one of the most sacred numbers not only in baseball history but in all of sports. It represents a lifetime of hard work and a combination of skill and competitiveness that few men possessed to the degree that Pete Rose did. These traits in Rose are undeniable and drove him to surpass Ty Cobbs seemingly unreachable mark and become Major League Baseballs All-Time Hit King. Also undeniable is Roses propensity to test the boundaries that govern Americas National Pastime. In 1985 Rose had been traded from the Montreal Expos back to the Cincinnati Reds the previous season and was on the last legs of his career. Playing first base and serving as the last player-manager in baseball Rose remained unyielding in his pursuit of Ty Cobb's hallowed record of 4191 hits. Before the season Rose had a box of about 30 black Mizuno bats specially made for him. His trademark quick swing not nearly as quick as it used to be Rose ordered his bats a little lighter than usual to shorten up his motion. The bats were 34 inches long and weighed 32 ounces. In honor of his quest for 4192 hits they were dubbed the PR4192. Offered here is one such example of Roses Mizuno professional model PR4192.

This Mizuno model PR 4192 bat exhibits evidence of outstanding use with a handle crack that has been repaired. Slight checking (grain swelling) from repeated ball contact is visible on the back barrel. Several ball marks and ball stitch impressions are visible on the right and left barrel. Cleat marks can be seen on the right left and back barrel. The handle has been taped in a spiral pattern to enhance the grip and a 1" piece has been removed. There is a moderate coat of pine tar on the handle. Tape has also been removed from the barrel of the bat and shadows of the tape are still visible. The bats most unique feature however is the appearance of an alteration to the barrel end that is indicative of the barrel being corked. The discovery of this feature prompted an X-ray of the barrel which revealed that the barrel is in fact corked. It is well known that during the referenced labeling period Rose was known to cork his gamers. This fact has been confirmed by the subject bat as well as three other documented examples that have been X-rayed including the bat used by Rose to hit his 159th career home run on May 20th 1985. Corked Rose bats however are seldom seen in the marketplace. We must note that the barrel of the bat shows evidence of having been taped indicating that it was designated for batting practice use at some point. The bat is believed to have been game used by Rose and then later retired for batting practice. It is among the most unique and intriguing pieces of Rose memorabilia a collector could ever hope to own. Dating from a pivotal and historic period of his storied and controversial career it is the embodiment of Roses competitive nature. A CD with all the bat X-rays is included. The bat also comes with a Cincinnati Reds branded game-used batting glove most likely used during Rose's quest for 4192 in '85 as well.

Provenance: The bat is accompanied by a letter from Montreal resident Rene Longpre which outlines his relationship with Rose as well as his acquisition of the bat. Longpre's letter refers to the bat as being given to him by Rose in "mid May 1985" which coincides with the Red's 2-game series in Montreal May 15-16. In addition to Rene's letter he has included several pictures of himself with Rose (i.e. partying on New Year's in 1994) corroborating their friendship.

Includes CD with multiple X-rays showing the corked barrel. LOA from John Taube of PSA/DNA.