Roberto Clemente’s Rare Bat to Go on Sale for $250,000
If you’re a baseball fan with a quarter of a million dollars lying around, you’re in luck because an ultra-rare bat that Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente once used and signed is about to go on sale. TMZ Sports has learned that the Hillerich & Bradsby signature model U1 bat that Clemente swung during the 1971 season is hitting Heritage Auctions in February, and it’s awesome.
The 36-inch, 35.5-ounce relic has been photo-matched and is also autographed by Clemente himself. The inscription on the bat, which Clemente made out to famed memorabilia collector Carey Diab, reads, “To my friend Carey, Best Wishes Always, Roberto Clemente.” The bat also has the No. 21 written on the knob.
Experts at Heritage Auctions expect the bat to go for $250,000 when it ultimately sells, explaining, “It is one of a tiny handful of known photo-matched Clemente gamers.”
Roberto Clemente, the first Caribbean and Latin-American MLB player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, played 18 seasons in the pros. Throughout his career, he logged 3,000 hits and 240 home runs. He won two World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a 15-time All-Star, a four-time NL batting champ, and an NL MVP. Clemente also won 12 Gold Gloves.
Tragically, Clemente’s life was cut short when he was killed in a plane crash en route to deliver emergency aid to Nicaragua earthquake victims in 1972. He was only 38.
The sale of Clemente’s rare bat is not only a chance for baseball fans to own a piece of history but also a way to honor the legacy of one of the game’s greatest players.
