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Lot # 890: 1924 Johnnie Neun Batting Championship "Silver" Bat and Ball

Starting Bid: $1,000.00

Bids: 17 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "2019 Spring Classic",
which ran from 5/7/2019 10:00 AM to
6/7/2019 10:00 PM



Though he would never become a star in the Major Leagues, Johnny Neun was a force in the minors in the early 1920s. This silver bat and ball were presented to Neun for winning the batting championship in 1924 while in St. Paul, where he hit a robust .353. His performance that year was good enough to catch the attention of a bona fide baseball legend, Ty Cobb, who petitioned the owner of the Tigers to acquire Neun, which they did in 1925. Two years later, Neun made his way into the big league record books, becoming just the seventh player in MLB history to complete an unassisted triple play. Both have small metal eyelets so that they can be hung, together or separately. The bat is engraved, "Rank A. Ubel Trophy Presented to Johnnie Neun Leading Hitter, St. Paul Club 1924 Pennant Winners." Both items were originally obtained directly from Neun, who after hanging up his cleats as a player in 1931 went on to become manager of the New York Yankees in 1946 and later the Cincinnati Reds. This magnificent duo is a tribute to a solid old time player who seemed to be destined for much more. The bat has an obvious repair on the handle that can bee seen upon closer inspection as well as a small dent in the ball which could be properly pulled by a properly trained restorer.

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