A bat used by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson in 1911 sold for a record-breaking $2.01 million at Heritage over the weekend, becoming the most expensive baseball bat ever sold publicly.
The prior record belonged to a Babe Ruth bat which was brokered by Hunt Auctions in August 2023 for $1.85 million.
Jackson’s bat was deemed a PSA/DNA GU 10, the highest grade offered by the authenticator and the only one of 11 Jackson bats in PSA’s census to achieve the top mark.
The most expensive Jackson bat previously sold publicly was another 1911 piece of lumber, graded PSA/DNA GU 9, which sold for $956,000 in 2014 (also at Heritage).
The bat exhibited side writing featuring Jackson’s name, which was common for the era as players would send their bats back to the factory to request the same model. As Jackson was nearly illiterate, it’s believed the writing was penned by Louisville Slugger player representative Henry Morrow.
This is considered to be one of the best possible pieces of evidence for authenticity among bats from the era and likely contributed to the price tag.
Though an all-time record, the final price still fell short of Heritage’s $3 million pre-sale estimate.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.