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During his nine-year Major league career, Ken Harrelson played for the Kansas City Athletics (1963-66, 1967), Washington Senators (1966-67), Boston Red Sox (1967-69), and Cleveland Indians (1969-71). In his nine-season career, his time with the Athletics ended abruptly in 1967 when Harrelson angrily denounced team owner Charlie Finley following the dismissal of manager Alvin Dark. Saying that Finley was "a menace to baseball," Harrelson was released, thus becoming a "pre-Curt Flood free agent." He ended up signing a lucrative deal with the Boston Red Sox. Brought in to replace the injured Tony Conigliaro, Harrelson helped the Red Sox win the AL pennant, but watched the team drop a close World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. In 1968, he had his finest season, making the American League All-Star team and leading the American League in runs batted in with 109. In 1969, Harrelson was traded to the Indians, and finished the year with 30 home runs. He used his local celebrity to briefly host a half-hour program entitled, "The Hawk's Nest" on local CBS affiliate WJW-TV.
Following his retirement in 1971, and a short-lived stint as a professional golfer, Harrelson returned to the broadcast booth in 1882. 2008 marks Harrelson's 18 consecutive season as a Chicago White Sox broadcaster. During this time he won five Emmy Awards and two Illinois Sportscaster of the Year awards. Harrelson is known for his often used catchphrases such as, "He gone!" or "Grab some bench!" after a strikeout of an opposing player, "Sacks packed with Sox," when the bases are loaded, and referring to the White Sox as "the good guys.". He is best known for his home run call, which for the White Sox is an enthusiastic cry while the ball is in flight, "You can put it on the booooard... YES!" His passion for the White Sox along with his familiar catch phrases and vast knowledge of the game make him one of the most beloved figures in White Sox team history.
This bat was manufactured by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company. It is a signature model with Ken Harrelson's name stamped in script on the barrel as he had an endorsement contract with the company at the time of manufacture. This bat has what is commonly referred to as 1965-68 era labeling. The Model Number K55 is stamped into the knob of this bat. The bat has a natural, or regular, finish. It measures 34 inches in length and currently weighs approximately 32 ounces. This bat has a crack in the handle that begins 6 inches from the knob and extends toward the barrel. Harrelson, per the consignor, cracked this bat during a Senators game in 1967. This crack is very slightly displaced and occurs along the grain of the wood. The number 3 is evident on the knob of this bat, written in vintage marker. Harrelson wore uniform number 3 in 1966 and 1967 with the Washington Senators. (Note: the number 32 is also noted on the knob of this bat, most likely as a notation of the weight rather than evidence of a two-player bat -- if a player wearing number 32 had used the bat after Harrelson, it would be likely that either the number two would have just been added to Harrelson's number 3, or that Harrelson's number would be marked out.) This bat exhibits a significant number of game characteristics, including a cracked handle, heavy pine tar residue, hit marks, rack marks, numerous cleat marks and slight grain separation.
This is a rare opportunity to obtain a game used bat from one of the most colorful players in baseball history, a revered member of the White Sox and Red Sox, from a period when he was a member of the "Beltway Boys" Washington Senators.View Lot Detail page