This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/1/2002.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and future Hall of Famer Mark McGwire hit his 469th career home run out of Dodger Stadium on May 22, 1999, becoming only the third player to accomplish the feat. In the eighth inning, McGwire crushed the 484-foot drive which bounced off the roof on top of the left field pavilion and went into the parking lot. The ball has a scorch mark on one of the side panels that was presumably obtained upon contacting the roof. If the ball hadn't hit the roof, it would have landed at least 50 feet farther, making it quite possibly one of the hardest balls ever hit after considering the thick night air of Los Angeles and the 12-mph wind fighting against the ball. Dodgers catcher Todd Hundley, who called for the 91-mph fastball from pitcher Jamie Arnold, said the ball was "the farthest I've seen a ball hit before." Of the home run, McGwire said, "Yeah, it was a nice hit, but we came up short. If it was a win, it would have meant a lot more. You don't win a prize for it." But this baseball is one of the ultimate prizes from McGwire's storied career. After hitting 70 home runs in 1998, this was the 12th long ball of his 1999 campaign, where he went on to hit 65 to again eclipse Maris and Ruth. It also marked the 55th multi-homer game of his career, tying Jimmie Foxx for fourth all-time. Accompanying the ball is a letter of authenticity and the original ticket stub from the lucky fan who tracked it down in the parking lot and held it for two years before selling it directly to our consignor. The letter states, "Out of the 54,179 fans in attendance, I was in the best position and mind set to get the ball. 1999 was my third year with season tickets in the first row of the left field pavilion, and I had an aisle seat that allowed me to sprint after a long drive like McGwire's. Since I watched the ball travel from McGwire's bat, bounce off the roof of Dodger Stadium, and finally end up in my hands, I can guarantee its authenticity with 100% certainty."