A Pete Rose bat, used in the 1966 season and gifted to a teenage fan, is set to sell at MEARS this weekend, with a current bid of $9,000.
The bat has never been soled publicly and has been consigned by the original recipient, according to MEARS.
Rose gifted the bat to the consignor in 1966 after a game at Connie Mack Stadium. She was waiting at the fence among other fans for Rose to sign autographs when he got to her and said “I was saving the ladies for last, and wanted to give you my bat,” according to the consignor.
Rose bats, much like his autograph, are far from rare, as “Charlie Hustle” is known to have started to use many bats in the lead-up to breaking the all-time hit record as they became a hot commodity. But early career pieces such as this one are far rarer.
In 2021, the corked bat Rose used to tie Ty Cobb’s record sold for $855,000. Recently, a 1964 bat, graded PSA/DNA GU 10, sold for $69,000 in May 2024, and a 1963 bat from his rookie year, graded PSA/DNA GU 9, sold for $27,600.
This bat is graded MEARS A10, the highest grade given by the memorabilia authenticator indicated game use. However, the bat does not come with authentication from PSA, which has authenticated 237 game-used Rose bats.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.