Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Winter 2015
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/25/2015
"The big thing about Clemente is that he can hit any pitch," Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal once explained. "I don't mean only strikes. He can hit a ball off his ankles or off his ear."
This awesome signed Roberto Clemente game-used bat and signed photo originates from Carey Diab, known in Montreal as Mr. Baseball, and will come with an LOA from his son. Mr. Diab was a fervent baseball memorabilia collector, as shown in photos of his office, and he had access to home and visiting ballplayers as far back as to when the Montreal Royals of the International League were the big show in town. Diab enjoyed meeting and getting souvenirs from players and developed great friendships with many of them, some of whom stayed at his home when they started playing in Montreal, including Rusty Staub, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter, among others.
Diab was gifted this game-used bat by the great Clemente, who also signed and dedicated his 8x10 photo in his early-1970s Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. This Clemente bat is a 36-inch Hillerich & Bradsby signature model “U1”, which is engraved on the knob, with a faded vintage No. “21” written on the knob. The bat shows moderate use with some ball marks and bat rack marks.
“To my friend Carey, best wishes always, Roberto Clemente” reads the huge black marker autograph on the barrel.
Visible on the bat, starting near the end of the darker colored handle and downwards to the barrel, is a light transparent caramel-colored finish which is more visible on some spots where drops have dried-up thicker. The autographed Clemente photo is visible in one of the photos of Mr. Diab in his office.
This signed photo and game-used bat with great provenance, one of the tools of his trade, was used by Roberto Clemente in his final seasons en route to reaching the mythic 3000-hit plateau, which he did on the final day of the 1972 season. Perhaps the gods of baseball knew that this would be his last game. Clemente died on December 31, 1972 when his plane crashed shortly after takeoff on a relief mission for earthquake victims in Nicaragua. A special exception was made to waive the five-year waiting period for election to the Hall of Fame, to which Clemente was posthumously inducted in 1973.
Please take note that this lot may be subject to a silent reserve.
The dedicated black marker autograph on the photo reads, “To Carey, with all best wishes, from your friend, Roberto Clemente”.
Diab’s son remembers his dad was gifted the bat after Clemente accomplished something special in Montreal and research shows the following;
- Clemente’s first hit at Jarry Park came on July 14, 1969. In his first at bat at the stadium, Clemente singled off Expos right-hander Bill Stoneman in the second inning. Clemente notched an additional single and a double in that game to register his first of three three-hit games at Jarry Park during his career. The Expos defeated the Pirates 2-0.
- Clemente’s first and only home run at Jarry Park was belted off of right-hander John Strohmayer in the fifth inning of the Pirates’ 8-4 win against the Expos on May 23, 1970.
- The Pirates superstar’s final three-hit game at Jarry Park came in Pittsburgh’s 6-2, 13-inning win over the Expos on May 21, 1971. Two of Clemente’s three hits (a single in the ninth and double in the 11th) came off of Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Claude Raymond. Despite allowing the two hits to Clemente, Raymond pitched four scoreless innings in relief.
- Clemente’s final hit at Jarry Park was a single off Expos righty Mike Torrez on September 10, 1972. It was the 2,978th hit of his career. Torrez scattered eight hits that day in a complete-game, 8-2 victory for the Expos. It was Torrez’s 16th win of the season.
By clicking this button, you will IMMEDIATELY bid the amount selected.
By clicking this button, you will submit this amount as your MAXIMUM (absentee) bid. The auction software will place bids on your behalf up to this amount only as it is bid against competitively by other bidder(s).