Ty-Cobb
Ty Cobb rookie bat tops $1 million in big memorabilia auction at Grey Flannel
The earliest known Ty Cobb bat in the hobby sold for more than $1 million at Grey Flannel Auctions Sunday night.
The bat dates to Cobb’s rookie season in 1905, when he played in 41 games and hit his first career home run. Cobb went on to a Hall of Fame career, setting 90 MLB records, including a .366 career batting average and 12 batting titles.
Graded PSA/DNA GU 10, it opened with a bid of $100,000 and attracted 24 bids before selling for $1,074,544.
The Hillerich & Bradsby ash wood bat is 34.5 inches long and weighs 36.6 ounces. It shows evidence of heavy use, including a slight crack on the upper handle, ball and cleat marks and the remnants of tape on the lower handle.
It is one of only a few game-used bats that have topped the $1 million mark. A 1918-22 Babe Ruth bat sold for $1.6 million at Heritage Auctions in August, while a 1916-18 bat sold for $1.02 million at Heritage last year.
The bat is one of three to top six figures in Grey Flannel’s Holiday Auction. A Cobb 1924 bat sold for $207,142, while a 1920s Babe Ruth bat sold for $116,924.
Other six-figure sales in the auction include:
• A Babe Ruth single-signed baseball (PSA 9) for $357,594.
• A 1979-80 Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers game-used and signed jersey for $325,085.
• A 1960-61 Roger Maris game-used jersey for $244,240.
• A 1971 Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs game-used and signed jersey for $173,102.
• A 1937 Joe DiMaggio game-used rookie cap for $143,059.
