Dick Groat H&B block-letter (last name only) pro-model (O16) bat dating from the 1959-1960 manufacturing period (the combination of the center brand and barrel stampings account for the dating). The bat, which measures 36 inches and weighs 33.1 ounces, is not cracked and displays moderate use, including checking (grain separation) on the back of the barrel. A few minor indentations are also evident on the barrel. A light red-ink mark appears on the knob. Groat has personally attested to its game-used status by inscribing the bat in black marker (grading 10/10) on the sweet spot “Dick Groat/1960 N.L. MVP/Gamer.” Groat game-used bats are scarce, and this is a particularly desirable example because it dates from the narrow two-year period 1959-1960, which, as Groat noted in his inscription, overlaps with his 1960 MVP season. Groat batted a league-leading .325 with 2 home runs and 50 RBI in 1960 to help lead the Pirates to their first World Championship since 1925. A five-time All-Star and one of the game’s top shortstops from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Groat batted .300 or better on four different occasions and finished his career with a .286 lifetime average. Full LOA from PSA (for the signature only).