Mickey Mantle may be the most famous Yankee to ever play the game of baseball, but it now appears that Mantle could have used a doctored bat at some point in his career.
Multiple reports indicate that Grey Flannel Auctions has verified that a bat used by Mantle during the 1964 season was loaded with cork, a substance used to help players increase bat speed and subsequently, power at the plate. This marks the first time that a Mantle bat has been found with cork.
The bat, made by the Hillerich & Bradsby Co., was put under examination by PSA/DNA authenticator John Taube. During his report, Taube noticed alterations to the top of the bat’s barrel, and subsequent x-rays showed that the barrel had been drilled into and filled with cork.
“This is the first corked bat of Mantle that we have seen or heard of,” noted Taube.
The bidding for the bat will begin at $5,000 when the auction begins in June.
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