Jackie Robinson bat fetches more than $1M, falls just short of record price

·Staff writer

1 May 2022 at 8:29 pm·2-min read

The memorabilia market is not slowing down.

The latest big-ticket sports collectible to fetch seven figures? A Jackie Robinson bat that the World Series champion, Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer and civil rights icon used during the 1949 MLB All-Star game. Goldin Auctions announced the sale of the bat on Saturday for $1.08 million.

The winning bidder? Hunt Auctions claimed the bat on behalf of a private buyer. There's no telling for now where the bat ends up.

American baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919 - 1972) of the Brooklyn Dodgers, USA, 28th August 1949. The Dodgers played the Pittsburgh Pirates at Ebbets Field in New York City that day. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images) — A Jackie Robinson game-used bat fetched seven figures at auction on Saturday. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Robinson's 1949 MLB All-Star appearance marked his first of seven, another milestone for the man who broke baseball's color barrier. It was played at Brooklyn Dodgers home Ebbets Field. Robinson started at second base and hit second for the National League that day, going 1 for 4 with a double and a walk in the 11-7 loss to the American League. He was named NL MVP that season.

Per Goldin, the bat sold on Saturday is a Hillerich & Bradsby S100 model and was one of two made for Robinson to use in the All-Star game. It "displays light game use and is uncracked," according to Goldin.

Robinson's widow Rachel Robinson verified the bat's authenticity in a statement to Goldin.

“The bat has been in the Robinson family archives since the day it was first used by Jackie and I guarantee that is 100% authentic," she wrote in a letter, per Goldin.

While pricy, Robinson's bat falls short of the record paid for a bat. The bat that Babe Ruth used to slug the first home run ever hit at Yankee Stadium, sold to a private East Coast collector for $1.26 million. That was in 2004. Imagine what it would sell for in today's market.

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