Black Betsy
Black Betsy was the primary baseball bat of Shoeless Joe Jackson. It was hand made by a fan of his in 1903 when Jackson was still only 15. It broke the record for the highest sold baseball bat in history, when it was sold for $577,610 in 2001.[1] By then it was considered one of baseball's most fabled artifacts.[1] The record was broken in 2004 when a 1923 Babe Ruth bat sold for $1.2 million.[2]
Creation
The bat was hand made by a local fan of the South Carolina mill teams, Charlie Ferguson, out of a bunk from the northern side of a
Major leagues
Jackson took the bat, his favorite,
Later owners
Jackson kept Black Betsy until his death in 1951. After his wife's death a few years later, it was bequeathed to her cousin and her son, Lester Erwin, who kept the bat on a bookcase for over 40 years.[1] Erwin decided to sell the bat through eBay in 2001. In a 10-day auction, it gathered two bids. The winner, Rob Mitchell, owner of a marketing company in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, won, offering $525,100 plus a 10 percent buyer's premium.[1] It was offered for auction again at Sotheby's on December 10, 2005, with an estimate of $300,000–$350,000, but failed to sell.[7][8][9] An eBay auction in January 2008 failed to attract the minimum bid of $600,000.[9] On April 24, 2008, it sold at Sotheby's for $301,000.[10]
Derivatives
Sporting goods companies
The National Pastime Museum, a
References
- ^ a b c d e "Shoeless Joe's Bat Sells for $577,610". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 8, 2001. p. D6. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
- ^ a b c "'Shoeless' Joe Jackson's game bat is auctioned for $583,500". AP NEWS. October 19, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3312-4. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ Fleitz, p. 15.
- ^ Fleitz, p. 17.
- ^ Fleitz, p. 48.
- ^ "Shoeless Joe's Black Betsy to be auctioned". NBC Sports. Associated Press. October 20, 2005. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
- ^ "Lot 183: Joe Jackson's "Black Betsy" Game Used Bat From Jackson Estate". 10 December 2005: Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards. Sotheby's. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ a b Mueller, Rich (January 15, 2008). "Still No Buyer for Black Betsy". Sports Collectors Daily. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "Lot 176: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson 1917-21 Signature Model "Black Betsy" Game Bat - Only Known Career Contemporary Example". 24 April 2008: Important Sports Memorabilia and Cards. Sotheby's. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "WPW Throwbacks: Shoeless Joe Jackson's "Black Betsy"". WPW: What Pros Wear. July 28, 2013. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014.
- ^ "1910s-1920s "Black Betsy" Spalding Store Model Bat". Huggins & Scott Auctions. 2012.
- ^ Bartsch, Tom (March 19, 2013). "Opening Online: The National Pastime Museum". Sports Collectors Digest. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "Lot 100: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson professional model baseball bat". The Golden Age of Baseball, Selections of Works from the National Pastime Museum. Christie's. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ "Former owner says Shoeless Joe bat sold Wednesday not 'Black Betsy'". The Greenville News. October 20, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2020.