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After being named the Carolina League's Player of the Year in 1962, Staub was signed by the Houston Colt .45's. His numbers began to steadily improve in the 1965 season for the renamed Astros, and he had a breakout 1967 season, where he led the league in doubles with 44 and was selected to the All-Star team. He was also an All-Star for the Astros in 1968. Traded to the Expos before the start of the Canadian team's inaugural season in 1969, he was embraced as the expansion team's first star, and became one of the most popular players in their history.
Embraced by French-Canadians because he made the effort to learn their language, he was nicknamed "Le Grand Orange" for his red hair. Moving on to the Mets in 1972, Staub was instrumental in the Mets' 1973 upset over the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Championship Series where he socked 3 home runs and drove in 5 RBIs. In 1975, he set a Mets record with 105 runs batted in -- the first Met player ever to surpass 100 RBIs -- that would not be reached again until Gary Carter tied it in 1986, and not surpassed until 1990 by Darryl Strawberry. In 1978, with the Tigers, Staub became the first player to play in all 162 regular-season games exclusively as a designated hitter.
Not playing the field at all proved beneficial, as Staub finished second in the Major Leagues with 121 RBI. He had the honor of being named as the Designated Hitter on The Sporting News 1978 AL All-Star team. Staub returned to the Mets in 1981 as a free agent after spending the 1980 season with the Texas Rangers and served as a player-coach in 1982. In 1983, he tied a National League record with eight straight pinch-hits and that same season also tied the Major League record of 25 RBIs by a pinch hitter. Staub's number 10 jersey was retired by the Expos, and Staub was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1986.
The bat offered is a 1971 - 1979 Adirondack Model 265B Rusty Staub Game Used Professional Model Bat. The bat has a blue ring on the upper handle which dates it to the 1972 – 1975 period when he was with the New York Mets. There is also a vintage number 4 on the knob, which was Rusty's uniform number with the Mets in 1972, 1973, and 1974, which dates this bat as specific to that period. The bat measures 34" in length and weighs approximately 31 ounces. The bat has a very slight crack in the handle that has been professionally repaired and is almost impossible to see. The bat shows moderate to heavy use with numerous ball marks, hit marks, and cleat marks on the barrel. Pine tar remnants are evidenced on the handle. The barrel is embossed with RUSTY STAUB in block letters, The bat is a great example of a Staub game used bat from his first tenure with the New York Mets (during the middle of his 23-year Major League career) when he hit .423 in the Mets 1973 World Series loss to the Oakland A's.View Lot Detail page