Jackie Robinson's Game Used 1953 Hillerich & Bradsby Professional Model O16 Bat
Owner
Jackie Robinson
(American, 1919 - 1972)
Maker
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
(American, founded 1897)
Date1953
ClassificationsPop Culture
DimensionsOverall: 34 1/4 x 2 3/4 in. (87 x 7 cm)
DescriptionJackie Robinson's game used 1953 Hillerich & Bradsby Professional Model O16 bat. Factory ordering records allow the experts at PSA/DNA to peg this lumber definitively to the 1953 season, as it was the only year Robinson requested the O16 model. Its length of thirty-four and a half inches and weight of thirty-two and a half ounces perfectly match factory specs. During that year, Jackie placed three orders for O16’s: August 23, September 22 and September 23. The model number “016” has been stamped into the knob and Jackie’s immortal number “42” is handwritten in faded black paint. Expert John Taube characterizes the use as "heavy," noting multiple ball marks and stitch impressions on the barrel, and a handle crack secured with heavy tape. The initials "CEG" are written in green ink on the knob, but are dismissed by Taube as "unrelated to Robinson or the Dodger team, and placed on the knob by a subsequent owner."
1953 was a tremendous season for Robinson offensively as he hit .329 had 109 runs and 17 steals as the Dodgers won the second consecutive pennant. Despite the fact that the Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees in the World Series of 1953, it was still a historic season for the Dodgers. The season record of 105 wins still stands today as the greatest in franchise history. 1953 was also the year that Robinson took on the role of editor of “Our Sports,” a magazine focusing on black athletes and sports. He worked with former heavyweight champ Joe Louis to open golf courses to black participants and led the movement that finally de-segregated the last whites-only hotel used by the Dodgers, St. Louis’ Chase Park Hotel.
Baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) became the first African American player to break Major League Baseball’s (MLB) color barrier when he appeared with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
Robinson’s impact was immediately felt, winning Rookie of the Year. In his 10-year MLB career, all with the Dodgers, Robinson held a .313 batting average with 141 home runs and 761 runs batted in. He earned six All-Star appearances, won the National League MVP in 1949, and won a World Series in 1955.
His success on the field, coupled with his personal beliefs of nonviolent protest, challenged the ideals of racial segregation. His efforts contributed heavily to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
