Man Grabs Woman And Pulls Her Aside As He Discovers Rare Find At Her Garage Sale

Mar 26, 2021 by apost team

A man stopped a woman at a local garage sale in Iowa after finding something remarkable. Bruce Scapecchi visited the garage sale held by Sue McEntee in June 2013. He roamed around for a few minutes before noticing something unexpected. He immediately pulled McEntee aside to discuss the authenticity of the find before being surprised once again with McEntee’s family story.

Scapechhi had frequented anywhere from 2,000 to 5,000 garage sales over the summer. One hot day, he decided to stop at McEntee’s garage sale, where he found something incredibly special. Upon first glance, he noticed a few metal and wooden bats for sale on the ground under a ping pong table. He examined the bats up close and realized there was something unique about one of the wooden bats.

The bat was worn and had tape around the handle, fraying at the end. Scapecchi recognized the grip of the bat belonging to a loved professional baseball player. He pulled McEntee aside to figure out if what he discovered was real.

At first, McEntee did not understand what was so intriguing about the piece of sports equipment, as it appeared to be an ordinary wooden baseball bat. According to the video below, Scapecchi asked McEntee to bring him a lead pencil, which he used to rub against the side of the bat. Once brought into the rays of the sunshine, an engraved name was slightly visible on the bat. The graphite from the pencil revealed the name Jackie Robinson, barely legible due to the age of the equipment.

It wasn’t unusual to stumble across something as amazing as a used Robinson bat. According to Forbes, there are anecdotal records of Robinson giving out signed photo cards and bats he used in previous games. These rare finds can make their way to auctions, online markets and in the hands of anyone lucky enough to find them.

For example, another one of Robinson’s baseball bats was up for the sale. The bidders brought the price past $85,000, much more than the measly $1 McEntee was originally selling her bat for.

Another reason why this find was not completely surprising to McEntee is because she is the niece of baseball player Joe Hatten, who played in the league with Robinson.

Hatten was born in Bancroft, Iowa, in 1916. As a teenager, he played baseball at the Junior American Legion level, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. He moved up to semi-pro and later played in minor leagues for a few years. 

The Brooklyn Dodgers had been scouting him and worked on negotiating a contract. Hatten knew he wouldn’t be able to pitch for them right away and ended up serving with the U.S. Navy. When he was discharged, he negotiated his contract with the Dodgers. While the team’s management wanted to see him prove himself first, he knew his worth and eventually got paid more than their initial offer.

Hatten finally joined the major league team in 1946 as their pitcher. He was given the nickname “Lefty Joe” because he was a left-handed pitcher.

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According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947, one year after Hatten joined the team. This move was historic as it made Robinson the first Black player to take the field in the major leagues during the 20th century.

Baseball was not the only sport Robinson played. According to the official Robinson website, he was engaged in baseball, football, track and basketball. He also enlisted in the U.S. Army. Shortly afterwards, he was honorably discharged and went back to his passion of playing baseball.

Robinson became the National League Rookie of the Year at the end of his first season with the Dodgers. He became the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 1947, just two years after joining the major leagues.

According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson was inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 with an impeccable record. After retiring from the game, he became a sports announcer and worked as an advocate for many causes.

During an interview with Larry Upton, Robinson discussed his incredible career. He talked about how thrilling playing baseball was and how important it was for him to break the color barrier.

“Jackie Robinson was more than just a great baseball player; he was a great human being,” Upton said.

His legacy was celebrated for the 50th anniversary of his induction into the major league. According to his website, all major league teams celebrated the anniversary. The United States Post Office also celebrated the anniversary by commemorating him on a postage stamp.

“I think you might have something here,” Scapechhi told McEntee, according to KCCI News.

Once McEntee realized the importance of the baseball bat she was trying to sell, she immediately changed her mind. “I was like, holy cow!” McEntee said during an interview with KCCI News in June 2013. “So it went from being on the ground, under a table, ready to be sold for a dollar, to in the house very quickly.”

Funnily enough, Forbes reported that sports memorabilia is typically not found at thrift shops or your local flea market, and your best bet at buying something from your favorite player would be through a legitimate sports auction. It’s safe to say that McEntee and Scapechhi found themselves in a very different situation with quite an unbelievable story.

The baseball bat holds more memories than one could possibly imagine. In fact, McEntee’s children used to play baseball with it in their own backyard, unbeknownst to the history behind it. It’s something that has been in the family for quite some time now.

“It’s not going anywhere,” McEntee said about her decision to keep the bat. It wouldn’t be leaving the family anytime soon.

You can usually expect to find some fun, inexpensive items at a garage sale, but you can never be too sure what they might be. It could be anything from a vintage stereo, to an astounding piece of sports memorabilia. There’s a saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Luckily for McEntee, Scapecchi realized her trash was most certainly a family treasure meant to be kept.

What would you do if you found your favorite baseball player’s bat at a garage sale? What other kinds of rare finds have you discovered at your local yard sale or flea market? Pass this along to your friends and family to see if they have any hidden gems, too.