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Joe Hauser - Minneapolis Millers (1932-36)

1931-32 Joe Hauser Hillerich & Bradsby Game Used & Autographed Bat - Early 20th Century Single-Season Home Run King!

“Unser Choe” they called him. A German expression for “Our Joe”. A nickname given to him by the fans while paying for his hometown team the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1920’s. First baseman, Joe Hauser rewrote the record books in professional baseball. While playing for the Baltimore Orioles of the International League in 1930; he set an organized baseball single-season record with 63 home runs. He led the International League in homers again the following year and was dealt to the Minneapolis Millers just prior to the to the start of 1932 season. In 1933, Hauser reset his original professional baseball record by hitting 69 home runs for the Millers. He became the first and only player (until Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire matched the feat in the 1990s) to hit 60 or more home runs in a season twice. Hauser played five seasons with Minneapolis and ended his five-year stint with the Millers with 202 home runs, averaging better than 40 a season.

The feat of landing this gamer after a long 10-year hunt is stimulating. My Millers game-used bat collection just didn’t feel complete without a Hauser. The bat comes with rock-solid provenance. Dave Bushing traded Joe a bottle of whiskey for an afternoon of stories and an autograph. The bat was presented to Hauser at his home in Sheboygan. Joe proudly indicated bat was his and the nails on the back end of the barrel were from him, and he nailed the bat to keep it in action for as long as he could. Thrilling to know that this gamer is a period example that likely could have been used during the historic 1933 season!