(LOT 24)
c.1910-'15 "Shoeless" Joe Jackson Decal Bat
When J. Frederick Hillerich created the first Louisville Slugger baseball bat approximately 125 years ago, he was embarking on the establishment of the most prestigious baseball bat company on the planet. Aside from producing millions of bats for league play at all amateur and professional levels, the J.F. Hillerich & Son Co. typically produced bats for promotional use only. What might be the most popular series of promotional bats were the Louisville Slugger issues that included colorful decals of some of baseball's greatest players. Released between 1910 and 1915 (right before Frank Bradsby joined Hillerich as a full partner in 1916), decals included iconic players such as Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Napoleon Lajoie, Tris Speaker and many more.

The decals were strategically placed on the barrel of the bat, providing the buyer with an exquisite presentation of their favorite stars. In fact, it has been documented that, occasionally, these bats exhibit major league game use since they were modeled directly from the players' standard game bats. Every so often, some of these bats are available as auction house lots, but those offerings are few and far between. Presented here just happens to be the most popular of all the decal bats, an impressive approximate 35" length "Shoeless" Joe Jackson example! The legacy of Joe Jackson needs no introduction to baseball purists for it was his magnificent hitting prowess via his iconic Black Betsy bat, and his involvement in the 1919 "Black Sox" Scandal that both ensure his hallowed stature will echo for eternity.

The bat itself portrays a superb "burnished finish", with the barrel's colorful lithographic decal measuring approximately 4 ½" wide and 2 ½" tall. As most surviving decal bats reveal, there is some minor flaking and chipping that in no way, diminishes the superb eye appeal of the fine aesthetics of the century-old Jackson decal that has atypical retained roughly 75%+ of its original state (many of these bats exhibit 50%+ damage to their respective decals). The two-toned finish reveals minimal damage to the classic Black Betsy-like wood, and the legendary Louisville Slugger engraved logo including the critical "40 J.J." marking is completely intact.

The bottom knob includes a capital "M" engravement with the overall eye appeal of this awe-inspiring lumber placing this as one of the finest examples extant. Considering the staggering price tag that would be associated with any Joe Jackson game used bat, this sensational offering resides as a fine substitute for capturing a period style "Shoeless Joe" styled bat that seldom surfaces for the taking!

MIN BID $500
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