PHILADELPHIA – The bat tossed in the air by a New Jersey Little League player to celebrate a home run, which earned him a suspension later overturned by a judge, sold on Friday for nearly $10,000 at auction. All proceeds from the sale of the bat signed by Marco Rocco, age 12, will be donated to the program for which he plays, the Haddonfield Little League.
Goldin Auctions’ auction received 68 bids. The winning bid was $9,882 and the name of the winning bidder was not announced. Marco’s bat flip on July 16th in the Little League sectional tournament final resulted in an ejection, a one-game suspension, and a legal battle. The suspension would have kept him out of the first game of the state tournament. Joe Rocco took Little League to court and won an emergency temporary restraining order that allowed Marco to play in the double-elimination tournament. The incident was also commemorated with a pin available at the Little League World Series. The bat launch also caught the attention of major league players, who sided with the child.“Marco loves Little League and is happy to be able to give back to an organization he appreciates very much,” said his father, Joe Rocco, in a text message. “Little League was a very important part of Marco’s life for a long time.”
Joe Rocco
