Q: I’m inquiring about an appraisal on a publication titled “Famous Sluggers of 1929”. It includes batting records for Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Travis Jackson, L.Goslin, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Jim Bottomley, H.Cuyler, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, & Larry Heilman. It also includes numerous pictures, signatures, a list of leading sluggers of the 1929 season, Champion batters of 54 seasons (dating 1876-1929), important batting record for 54 years, & articles on “How to become a successful batter. Can you please get back to me at your convenience?

A: This was the last year of the large size Famous Sluggers series that they started putting out in 1921 that listed stats along with product line. In 1930, they went to a smaller 3 x 5.5” glossy cover version. Mint examples of the pre 1930 versions generally sell in the $100-200 range while the 1930 and later versions start on the high side in the $50-75 range and go down as the decades march on. They are highly sought after by bat collectors for their information.

Q: I was given your name as an authority on major league bats.
I was just given a dozen old Louisville slugger bats that were collected by a ball/bat boy during the 1970″s. One is marked MC44 with the name Solomon under it. One says” Official ‘ “Roberto Clemente” “Special”. One says “Genuine” “Nelson Fox”.

What is the difference between “Genuine” and “Official”?

Are there other markings I need to be looking for to determine the value of these bats?
I also have several “Bat Day” bats, as well as bats with bat boy’s names and the year burned into them. Is there any value to these?

A: The Solomon bat could be Eddie Solomon who played from 1973-83 and the model number on the barrel did not start until 1976 but without pics, I cannot pinpoint date but definitely a game bat, not a store model. If there was a uniform number on the knob, it would help nail down player but if Eddie Solomon, it would be valued in the $75 range. The Clemente Special is a cheaper store model bat and again, sans pics, cannot nail down date but it would be worth less than $100 even if mint.

Genuine is the terminology used above the signature on game model Louisville bats beginning around 1930 but some store model bats have the same slogan so without pics , dimensions, and model numbers , I cannot say if you have a game or store model bat. Values on nice 1940-50’s Nellie Fox gamers would be in the $2000-3000 range while store models bring less than $100. No game used Louisville bats will be found marked “Official”

Bat day bats, if stamped with famous players and in mint condition generally sell in the $50-150 range depending on age and player. If marked with bat boys name, of no real collector value to my knowledge.

Q. Mr. Bushing, My name is Mike Parmentier from L&M Vintage Baseball Collectibles LLC. I have submitted a pair of Game Worn 1967 Steve Carlton Spikes to Mears. Andrew suggested you as a point of expertise to maybe giving me an idea of value for these, if they turn out to be authentic, Could you help me determine a “ball park” figure? Thank you for your time, and expertise!

A. Carlton is a very popular player and I would expect that they would sell in the $1500 retail range. He was 14-9 with the World Champion Cardinals that season. His Phillies stuff seems to be a bit more desirable but to a Cardinal fan, these cleats, if they can be identified, would be a prize.

Q. Your name was provided by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company as someone who could provide data on the following bat. I has and has had a bat with Jackie Robinson’s signature. Is a bat made by Hillerich & Bradsby Co… It states:

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER (R)

125

Hillerich & BRADSBY

Louisville KENTUCKY

GENUINE R17

JACKIE ROBINSON SIGNATURE

How old is this bat and what is it worth and its authenticity.

A: You do not mention length (should be stamped on knob if a store model bat i.e. 34” or JR4) or if any stamps exist on knob. The fact that the model number appears on the barrel indicates the earliest date of mfg in 1976 and no later than 1980. If it is stamped with length on knob, then it would sell in the $25-50 range. If a pro stock bat with nothing stamped on knob but made well after he played, it might sell in the $200 range. In either case, it is not a rare player bat from his active baseball days.

Q. Dear Sir,

I recently purchased this jersey as stated above. Please let me know where I can reach you to verify that the number on the paperwork is authentic. It is your certificate number 259307.

A: Any member of MEARS can, at any time. Plug in the cert number and read a copy of said letter that will enable the buyer to make sure the item they are being offered with a MEARS cert is indeed, the shirt that was issued that number. You will find it listed on LOO on file.

Q. I have a Robert Clemente Louisville Slugger and I was wondering if you could help me find its value. I think it’s from the 1960’s. There is no R above the Powerized label. The & symbol is directly under the 1 in 125. The base of the handle has a RC5 on it. The bottom loop of the P does not intersect the vertical line of the P. The bat is in excellent shape. My uncle was a professional baseball player in the 30’s and 40’s. He gave this to me years ago. You can see someone has used it because their is a faint difference in color where the bat would be wrapped with tape. What do you estimate it’s value?

I also have an all star ring from the 40’s. My uncle was a all-star for the Montgomery Alabama Rebels. His name was John Sosh. He caught for the “Rifleman” Chuck Connors with the Mobile Bears. I think it may hold significant value. I’d appreciate any help you could give me.

A: Your 1960’s Robert (Roberto) Clemente bat is a store model as evidenced by the knob stamp (RC5) stands for Robert Clemente 35” while a game bat would have a model number of one letter followed by one-three numbers i.e. U1, K55, G169 etc. As a vintage store model bat, if minty, might sell in the $75-125 range. As for the ring, I would value it in the $1000 range, a bit more based on gold content (wt) and any valuable stones, both of which would increase value.

Q: How much is a Cal Ripken Jr. game used cracked bat model # F149 worth? What years did he use this model?

A. You don’t list any center brand or barrel stamps and values are based on several factors such as era, use, uniform number on knob, flaws, markings, etc. You also don’t tell me the length or weight so it is hard to determine if you have a factory documented game bat as having been ordered and shipped to Ripken Jr. Ripken ordered 35” F149 models in various finishes between 1986-89. A nice 86-89 Ripken with good use should sell in the $2500 range, maybe a bit more if pounded with uniform number on knob.

Q. I have a 33″ Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger Grand Slam model bat in mint condition with cellophane sleeve and original box. It is a grade 180 flame tempered and it is not a Hillerich and Bradsby. Any info on a ballpark value would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A: They dropped the H&B logo in 1980 so your post 1980 store model bat, even if mint in box, would not sell for much more than $100.

Q: I found an old Louisville Baseball bat No.10. It appears to be made of ash or perhaps oak. The interesting thing is that the label runs vertically rather than the usual horizontal configuration. The marking is in the shape of a horseshoe with “Louisville Bat Co.” written around the outside of the horseshoe. Below the horseshoe is written “Louisville KY” Within the horseshoe is written “No.10” When I found it was in a very old and weathered oil cloth canvas bag. Any Ideas regarding value or age would be appreciated. Sorry I do not have, nor do I know how to send you a picture.

A: The Louisville Bat company with their familiar horseshoe logo along with the mascot model were sold to the H&B company in the 1920’s and they kept the line for a few years offering signature model bats of both minor league players as well as some H&B endorsees such as Rogers Hornsby. Unfortunately, your non player model bat is probably only worth around $50-100.

Q: HI, I was told by L.S. to contact you with my questions. I have a bat, model 125S, Jackie Robinson special….evidently a “retail” bat. From the info on the LS website (and trade mark design), it appears it was only available prior to 1963. Could you please tell me what type of wood it is? I understand 125 means the highest quality wood. When was this model discontinued? Did pro batters preferences cause its demise? Was it a design specially made for Jackie Robinson? Is the 125S simply a replica of the Jackie Robinson bat? Finally, do the “rings” in a wood bat have any correlation to its quality? For instance, from my experience with wood, the closer the rings are to each other means the tree was a slow growth tree, meaning stronger wood. Also, the number of rings would seem to indicate how old the tree might have been. I count about 20 rings in my bat. I am wondering how old the trees are that are used today to make bats (ash, maple, etc.)
Thank you.

A: The special is a retail or store model and was a scaled down version based on an actual game model Robinson bat but a bit shrunken for younger players. During this era, the 125 model was the best wood but players generally want wide grain or about ½” between grains on the hitting surface. They have and still use second growth ash for most of their wooden bats. It is described as follows:

First Rate Second Growth. Ash trees grow plentifully in the United States and elsewhere in North America and the rest of the world. The United States is home to about 17 of the more than 70 species that exist worldwide. White ash and closely related species are sometimes used interchangeably, although white ash is considered to possess the best qualities.

“Normally the quantity of white ash in the woodlot will not be more than four percent of the total stand of timber,” Culross Peattie writes. “Fortunately, very large and ancient trees are not required for most of the uses to which ash is put. On the contrary, the toughest, strongest and soundest white ash with the greatest proportion of the pale sapwood that retail buyers prefer, is cut from the fast growing, comparatively young trees of second growth, such as commonly constitute most of the woodlots of the eastern states.”

The USDA’s “Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material,” says, “Second-growth commercial white ash is particularly sought because of the inherent qualities of this wood. It is heavy, strong, hard, and stiff and has high resistance to shock.”

Q: I was referred to you by the Louisville Slugger Museum. I have a really nice piece that I am considering selling, but honestly do not how to go about it. Let me first explain what I have. I have a book commemorating the 1983 season of the Louisville Redbirds where they set a record by drawing one million fans (the old AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals). The book is very nice, detailing the entire season. My grandfather actually did all of the photography, and this is one of his signed copies that he gave to me a while back. In celebration, the team brought in many Hall of Famers. The cover page of this book is signed by the following players: I count 17 Hall of Famers.

Mickey Mantle

Joe DiMaggio

Warren Spahn

Hank Aaron

Ernie Banks

Carl Hubbell

Pee Wee Reese

Harmon Killebrew

Ralph Kiner

Stan Musial

Allie Reynolds

Buck Leonard

Bob Lemon

Johnny Bench

Carl Erskine

Bill Dickey

Vida Blue

Eddie Matthews

George Kell

I have a couple questions. Would you happen to have an idea of what this piece could be worth? Also, if I did sell, what would be the best way to do it?

A: With more than seven of the above Hall of Famers now deceased and a few of those you listed such as Blue, Erskine, and Reynolds are not in the Hall, it does indeed have value but they (autographs) are not from their playing days and besides being at the event, have very little correlation to each other and collectors don’t seem to have a huge appetite for misc signed commemorative programs and I would value your piece in the $500-750 range at best.

Q. I found your name on the Louisville Slugger website and I wanted to know the value of the vintage bats I have been collecting for a few years.

Two little league bats:

-31 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Cesar Cedeno

-H & B Mickey Mantle little league bat

Three full size bats:

-34 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Jackie Robinson (JR4 on knob)

-35 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Enos Slaughter with (REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.) Under the logo (35 on knob)

-34 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Roger Maris (RM4 on Knob)

I have attached pictures of each bat. Please contact me if you need more information.

A: Well, all of the bats listed are store model or retail bats. The Slaughter bat is the oldest but even if gem mint NOS, these type bats seldom top the $100 range and used, they are all in the $20-75 range except the little league bats which seldom bring more than $10-20, even if one is a Mantle as Mantle store bats are common and most collectors do not want anything marked Little League.

Q: I have an old Spalding Model 1331 First baseman’s mitt that I am looking to sell. My Grandfather passed on to me years ago. The glove is in great shape. It is not torn or dry rotted at all. You can still read all of the original writing on the glove. I have attached some pictures for your review. I am only to sell out of necessity.

A: You have a well used but cared for post war non player endorsed Trapper model first baseman’s mitt (introduced around 1941) and as such, has almost no secondary market collector value which in a way is a good thing as it will not net you enough cash to buy a tank of gas so it should stay in the family as the memories are far more valuable than the secondary market value.

Q: My father has a bat donated by Bing Crosby in 1949 which is a Louisville slugger Powerized 125 with a Hank Greenburg signature .I think that looking at the style of bat that is in the Louisville slugger web site it is a 1947 bat. If you could find the time to give me a rough estimate of a price if any of the bat I would be grateful as baseball is not a big sport in Australia (sorry)

A: Really need some photographs as it is always possible that you have a pro model game bat of Greenberg that even sans any use, would still be worth a couple of thousand dollars if made to his specs and produced at the same time Greenberg was still an active player. Is there a model number on the knob? What does the center brand and barrel brand say? What is the length? I need this info.

Q: I have an old Louisville Slugger bat I inherited from my grandfather who died in the 1940’s. It’s 35 inches long, used – the lower handle is lighter in color than the business part of the bat and it has the Louisville Slugger trademark with a “40 G.S.” above the Hillerich Bradsby Co name. Could you tell me what the “40 G.S.” means and about when it would have been made? Thank you for any insight you can provide; I’d like to pass it on to my grandson who is an 11 year old catcher/outfielder and loves the game.

A: The GS stands for St. Louis Browns first baseman George Sisler. If his name is not burned into the barrel end of the bat, then it was issued as a decal or picture bat and if you look close, you will probably see little specs of color on the barrel from the decal. As such, if the decal is shot, then your bat is not worth much more than $50-75 Sisler played from 1915-27 with the Brownies and finished his career with the Braves in 1930. He also played for Washington in 1928.

Q: I have a Ted Williams Louisville Slugger bat given to me by my uncle, in about
1955. at the top of the barrel, is Ted Williams’s engraved signature, the word
“Special” above that and Louisville Slugger below his name. On the middle of
The bat, inside the HILLERICH & BRADSBY logo, is 125S. On the butt end of the
Handle, 35 is engraved in (35 oz.), I would guess? How can I find out if this?
Was an actual game bat and its worth?

A: The term special is applied to store model bats that are patterned after a real Ted Williams model yet has been scaled down for use by younger players. As such, they usually sell in the 450-100 range depending on condition.

Q: I’m inquiring about an appraisal on a publication titled “Famous Sluggers of 1929”. It includes batting records for Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Travis Jackson, L.Goslin, Paul Waner, Lloyd Waner, Jim Bottomley, H.Cuyler, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, & Larry Heilman. It also includes numerous pictures, signatures, a list of leading sluggers of the 1929 season, Champion batters of 54 seasons (dating 1876-1929), important batting record for 54 years, & articles on “How to become a successful batter. Can you please get back to me at your convenience?

A: This was the last year of the large size Famous Sluggers series that they started putting out in 1921 that listed stats along with product line. In 1930, they went to a smaller 3 x 5.5” glossy cover version. Mint examples of the pre 1930 versions generally sell in the $100-200 range while the 1930 and later versions start on the high side in the $50-75 range and go down as the decades march on. They are highly sought after by bat collectors for their information.

Q: I was given your name as an authority on major league bats.
I was just given a dozen old Louisville slugger bats that were collected by a ball/bat boy during the 1970″s. One is marked MC44 with the name Solomon under it. One says” Official ‘ “Roberto Clemente” “Special”. One says “Genuine” “Nelson Fox”.

What is the difference between “Genuine” and “Official”?

Are there other markings I need to be looking for to determine the value of these bats?
I also have several “Bat Day” bats, as well as bats with bat boy’s names and the year burned into them. Is there any value to these?

A: The Solomon bat could be Eddie Solomon who played from 1973-83 and the model number on the barrel did not start until 1976 but without pics, I cannot pinpoint date but definitely a game bat, not a store model. If there was a uniform number on the knob, it would help nail down player but if Eddie Solomon, it would be valued in the $75 range. The Clemente Special is a cheaper store model bat and again, sans pics, cannot nail down date but it would be worth less than $100 even if mint.

Genuine is the terminology used above the signature on game model Louisville bats beginning around 1930 but some store model bats have the same slogan so without pics , dimensions, and model numbers , I cannot say if you have a game or store model bat. Values on nice 1940-50’s Nellie Fox gamers would be in the $2000-3000 range while store models bring less than $100. No game used Louisville bats will be found marked “Official”

Bat day bats, if stamped with famous players and in mint condition generally sell in the $50-150 range depending on age and player. If marked with bat boys name, of no real collector value to my knowledge.

Q. Mr. Bushing, My name is Mike Parmentier from L&M Vintage Baseball Collectibles LLC. I have submitted a pair of Game Worn 1967 Steve Carlton Spikes to Mears. Andrew suggested you as a point of expertise to maybe giving me an idea of value for these, if they turn out to be authentic, Could you help me determine a “ball park” figure? Thank you for your time, and expertise!

A. Carlton is a very popular player and I would expect that they would sell in the $1500 retail range. He was 14-9 with the World Champion Cardinals that season. His Phillies stuff seems to be a bit more desirable but to a Cardinal fan, these cleats, if they can be identified, would be a prize.

Q. Your name was provided by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company as someone who could provide data on the following bat. I has and has had a bat with Jackie Robinson’s signature. Is a bat made by Hillerich & Bradsby Co… It states:

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER (R)

125

Hillerich & BRADSBY

Louisville KENTUCKY

GENUINE R17

JACKIE ROBINSON SIGNATURE

How old is this bat and what is it worth and its authenticity.

A: You do not mention length (should be stamped on knob if a store model bat i.e. 34” or JR4) or if any stamps exist on knob. The fact that the model number appears on the barrel indicates the earliest date of mfg in 1976 and no later than 1980. If it is stamped with length on knob, then it would sell in the $25-50 range. If a pro stock bat with nothing stamped on knob but made well after he played, it might sell in the $200 range. In either case, it is not a rare player bat from his active baseball days.

Q. Dear Sir,

I recently purchased this jersey as stated above. Please let me know where I can reach you to verify that the number on the paperwork is authentic. It is your certificate number 259307.

A: Any member of MEARS can, at any time. Plug in the cert number and read a copy of said letter that will enable the buyer to make sure the item they are being offered with a MEARS cert is indeed, the shirt that was issued that number. You will find it listed on LOO on file.

Q. I have a Robert Clemente Louisville Slugger and I was wondering if you could help me find its value. I think it’s from the 1960’s. There is no R above the Powerized label. The & symbol is directly under the 1 in 125. The base of the handle has a RC5 on it. The bottom loop of the P does not intersect the vertical line of the P. The bat is in excellent shape. My uncle was a professional baseball player in the 30’s and 40’s. He gave this to me years ago. You can see someone has used it because their is a faint difference in color where the bat would be wrapped with tape. What do you estimate it’s value?

I also have an all star ring from the 40’s. My uncle was a all-star for the Montgomery Alabama Rebels. His name was John Sosh. He caught for the “Rifleman” Chuck Connors with the Mobile Bears. I think it may hold significant value. I’d appreciate any help you could give me.

A: Your 1960’s Robert (Roberto) Clemente bat is a store model as evidenced by the knob stamp (RC5) stands for Robert Clemente 35” while a game bat would have a model number of one letter followed by one-three numbers i.e. U1, K55, G169 etc. As a vintage store model bat, if minty, might sell in the $75-125 range. As for the ring, I would value it in the $1000 range, a bit more based on gold content (wt) and any valuable stones, both of which would increase value.

Q: How much is a Cal Ripken Jr. game used cracked bat model # F149 worth? What years did he use this model?

A. You don’t list any center brand or barrel stamps and values are based on several factors such as era, use, uniform number on knob, flaws, markings, etc. You also don’t tell me the length or weight so it is hard to determine if you have a factory documented game bat as having been ordered and shipped to Ripken Jr. Ripken ordered 35” F149 models in various finishes between 1986-89. A nice 86-89 Ripken with good use should sell in the $2500 range, maybe a bit more if pounded with uniform number on knob.

Q. I have a 33″ Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger Grand Slam model bat in mint condition with cellophane sleeve and original box. It is a grade 180 flame tempered and it is not a Hillerich and Bradsby. Any info on a ballpark value would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

A: They dropped the H&B logo in 1980 so your post 1980 store model bat, even if mint in box, would not sell for much more than $100.

Q: I found an old Louisville Baseball bat No.10. It appears to be made of ash or perhaps oak. The interesting thing is that the label runs vertically rather than the usual horizontal configuration. The marking is in the shape of a horseshoe with “Louisville Bat Co.” written around the outside of the horseshoe. Below the horseshoe is written “Louisville KY” Within the horseshoe is written “No.10” When I found it was in a very old and weathered oil cloth canvas bag. Any Ideas regarding value or age would be appreciated. Sorry I do not have, nor do I know how to send you a picture.

A: The Louisville Bat company with their familiar horseshoe logo along with the mascot model were sold to the H&B company in the 1920’s and they kept the line for a few years offering signature model bats of both minor league players as well as some H&B endorsees such as Rogers Hornsby. Unfortunately, your non player model bat is probably only worth around $50-100.

Q: HI, I was told by L.S. to contact you with my questions. I have a bat, model 125S, Jackie Robinson special….evidently a “retail” bat. From the info on the LS website (and trade mark design), it appears it was only available prior to 1963. Could you please tell me what type of wood it is? I understand 125 means the highest quality wood. When was this model discontinued? Did pro batters preferences cause its demise? Was it a design specially made for Jackie Robinson? Is the 125S simply a replica of the Jackie Robinson bat? Finally, do the “rings” in a wood bat have any correlation to its quality? For instance, from my experience with wood, the closer the rings are to each other means the tree was a slow growth tree, meaning stronger wood. Also, the number of rings would seem to indicate how old the tree might have been. I count about 20 rings in my bat. I am wondering how old the trees are that are used today to make bats (ash, maple, etc.)
Thank you.

A: The special is a retail or store model and was a scaled down version based on an actual game model Robinson bat but a bit shrunken for younger players. During this era, the 125 model was the best wood but players generally want wide grain or about ½” between grains on the hitting surface. They have and still use second growth ash for most of their wooden bats. It is described as follows:

First Rate Second Growth. Ash trees grow plentifully in the United States and elsewhere in North America and the rest of the world. The United States is home to about 17 of the more than 70 species that exist worldwide. White ash and closely related species are sometimes used interchangeably, although white ash is considered to possess the best qualities.

“Normally the quantity of white ash in the woodlot will not be more than four percent of the total stand of timber,” Culross Peattie writes. “Fortunately, very large and ancient trees are not required for most of the uses to which ash is put. On the contrary, the toughest, strongest and soundest white ash with the greatest proportion of the pale sapwood that retail buyers prefer, is cut from the fast growing, comparatively young trees of second growth, such as commonly constitute most of the woodlots of the eastern states.”

The USDA’s “Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material,” says, “Second-growth commercial white ash is particularly sought because of the inherent qualities of this wood. It is heavy, strong, hard, and stiff and has high resistance to shock.”

Q: I was referred to you by the Louisville Slugger Museum. I have a really nice piece that I am considering selling, but honestly do not how to go about it. Let me first explain what I have. I have a book commemorating the 1983 season of the Louisville Redbirds where they set a record by drawing one million fans (the old AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals). The book is very nice, detailing the entire season. My grandfather actually did all of the photography, and this is one of his signed copies that he gave to me a while back. In celebration, the team brought in many Hall of Famers. The cover page of this book is signed by the following players: I count 17 Hall of Famers.

Mickey Mantle

Joe DiMaggio

Warren Spahn

Hank Aaron

Ernie Banks

Carl Hubbell

Pee Wee Reese

Harmon Killebrew

Ralph Kiner

Stan Musial

Allie Reynolds

Buck Leonard

Bob Lemon

Johnny Bench

Carl Erskine

Bill Dickey

Vida Blue

Eddie Matthews

George Kell

I have a couple questions. Would you happen to have an idea of what this piece could be worth? Also, if I did sell, what would be the best way to do it?

A: With more than seven of the above Hall of Famers now deceased and a few of those you listed such as Blue, Erskine, and Reynolds are not in the Hall, it does indeed have value but they (autographs) are not from their playing days and besides being at the event, have very little correlation to each other and collectors don’t seem to have a huge appetite for misc signed commemorative programs and I would value your piece in the $500-750 range at best.

Q. I found your name on the Louisville Slugger website and I wanted to know the value of the vintage bats I have been collecting for a few years.

Two little league bats:

-31 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Cesar Cedeno

-H & B Mickey Mantle little league bat

Three full size bats:

-34 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Jackie Robinson (JR4 on knob)

-35 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Enos Slaughter with (REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.) Under the logo (35 on knob)

-34 inch Hillerich & Bradsby Roger Maris (RM4 on Knob)

I have attached pictures of each bat. Please contact me if you need more information.

A: Well, all of the bats listed are store model or retail bats. The Slaughter bat is the oldest but even if gem mint NOS, these type bats seldom top the $100 range and used, they are all in the $20-75 range except the little league bats which seldom bring more than $10-20, even if one is a Mantle as Mantle store bats are common and most collectors do not want anything marked Little League.

Q: I have an old Spalding Model 1331 First baseman’s mitt that I am looking to sell. My Grandfather passed on to me years ago. The glove is in great shape. It is not torn or dry rotted at all. You can still read all of the original writing on the glove. I have attached some pictures for your review. I am only to sell out of necessity.

A: You have a well used but cared for post war non player endorsed Trapper model first baseman’s mitt (introduced around 1941) and as such, has almost no secondary market collector value which in a way is a good thing as it will not net you enough cash to buy a tank of gas so it should stay in the family as the memories are far more valuable than the secondary market value.

Q: My father has a bat donated by Bing Crosby in 1949 which is a Louisville slugger Powerized 125 with a Hank Greenburg signature .I think that looking at the style of bat that is in the Louisville slugger web site it is a 1947 bat. If you could find the time to give me a rough estimate of a price if any of the bat I would be grateful as baseball is not a big sport in Australia (sorry)

A: Really need some photographs as it is always possible that you have a pro model game bat of Greenberg that even sans any use, would still be worth a couple of thousand dollars if made to his specs and produced at the same time Greenberg was still an active player. Is there a model number on the knob? What does the center brand and barrel brand say? What is the length? I need this info.

Q: I have an old Louisville Slugger bat I inherited from my grandfather who died in the 1940’s. It’s 35 inches long, used – the lower handle is lighter in color than the business part of the bat and it has the Louisville Slugger trademark with a “40 G.S.” above the Hillerich Bradsby Co name. Could you tell me what the “40 G.S.” means and about when it would have been made? Thank you for any insight you can provide; I’d like to pass it on to my grandson who is an 11 year old catcher/outfielder and loves the game.

A: The GS stands for St. Louis Browns first baseman George Sisler. If his name is not burned into the barrel end of the bat, then it was issued as a decal or picture bat and if you look close, you will probably see little specs of color on the barrel from the decal. As such, if the decal is shot, then your bat is not worth much more than $50-75 Sisler played from 1915-27 with the Brownies and finished his career with the Braves in 1930. He also played for Washington in 1928.

Q: I have a Ted Williams Louisville Slugger bat given to me by my uncle, in about
1955. at the top of the barrel, is Ted Williams’s engraved signature, the word
“Special” above that and Louisville Slugger below his name. On the middle of
The bat, inside the HILLERICH & BRADSBY logo, is 125S. On the butt end of the
Handle, 35 is engraved in (35 oz.), I would guess? How can I find out if this?
Was an actual game bat and its worth?

A: The term special is applied to store model bats that are patterned after a real Ted Williams model yet has been scaled down for use by younger players. As such, they usually sell in the 450-100 range depending on condition.

I spend a fair amount of time answering questions either over the phone or at shows I might be at. If you know me, I like to talk and talk about this stuff to no end at times. Collectors seem to enjoy asking me about a variety of items and are surprised that as a dealer, my first response is not how much do you want for it? I have always figured if someone is looking to sell something, they’ll let me know. Most of the time they just want some information, something I am always happy to provide if I can.

Here are some recent questions and answers that have come to me via e-mail recently:

Q: I saw your name listed as an expert in game-used bats. I have a question concerning a Paul Waner bat that’s supposedly from the 1940s. Is there anyway to tell, without being in the presence of the bat, whether it’s a store model or an actual ‘gamer’? It’s likely a store model, but I don’t have much knowledge of bats from that far back.

It has ‘125-PW’ inside the LS oval and “GENUINE / Paul Waner / LOUISVILLE SLUGGER” on the barrel. The knob is marked with 35 inches.

Thanks for your time,

Trent McCotter

Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)

A: Trent, your bat is indeed a store model bat. The giveaways are the inch marks on the knob and Paul Waners initials in the center following the model number 125. I could further nail down the dating as follows; if your bat has Trade Mark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Under the center oval and does not have the phrase “Powerized” to the right of oval, then it is a 1920’s bat. If it has “Powerized” either alone or with “bone rubbed” or “oil tempered” or Pat. Pend. , depending on which, it is a 1931-33 if the same slogan appears under the oval. If yours has “Trade Mark Reg” under the oval, this first appears in 1934 thru 1949 and if “Reg U. S. Pat Off.” appears under the center brand, it is post 1950. As for value, a pre 1934 in really nice shape might sell for $3-400 or $2-300 if 1934-49 era.

Q. Hello, I would like to know what you charge to authenticate early Louisville Slugger bats. I have one that I described to you about a year ago and you said it was one of the first models…..Also, shipping info. Thanks

Jim Macon

A: We get asked this a lot. If you go to Mearsonline.com and go to the submissions page, there is a print out so you can list all the details of your item along with terms and turn around times as well as pricing for each which is don’t based on era and player status.

Q. I wanted to write you regarding an item I just acquired. It is a large circa 1910 quilt that is decorated with approximately 30 vintage pennants. Most of the pennants are college or tourist/advertising pennants, but 2 of them caught my eye. 1 is a circa 1910? Oversized White Sox pennant which measures in at about 38 inches long. The other is a 30 inch pennant that reads Metropolitan, with the letters MBC on the left. Could this be for the Metropolitan Baseball Club? The quilt does have some condition issues with some pennants missing, and loose stitching, so my plan was to remove the pennants. Based on some of the loose stitching, this could be done very easily, and the pennants would come off great with no damage. I wanted to get your opinion regarding the date and value of the Sox pennant, and as well get your opinion on the possibility of the Metropolitan pennant being for the Metropolitan baseball club. Also, in your opinion, would it be quilt despite its condition have more value in its entirety, and would it be unwise for me to remove the pennants?

Thanks much, I will be attaching photos to this email.

Keith

A: It is definitely a circa 1910 quilt but the only pennants of real value are the Sox pennant but because it does not say Chicago, it could be Red Sox or even a minor league affiliate. If taking it apart does not do too much damage, it might sell in the $500 range. The pennant that says “Metropolitan” with the intertwined BC could stand for the “Mets Ball Club but it is doubtful. First, the original “Mets” or Metropolitans were a league that existed from 1880-1887 as an independent professional team in New York. Most clubs at this time used the three letter abbreviation “BBC” for Base Ball Club as Baseball was not then used as a one word. I don’t think your pennant is that old but it is interesting and might sell for a few hundred dollars. It may be best that you leave it as an interesting blanket as I think it might sell for around $1000 as is.

Q. I acquired an old bat many years ago, and I was wondering if you can give me some information about it. It is labeled “Louisville Slugger, Made by F.Hillerich and Son Louisville, KY. Trademark.” The dimensions are approx.:Knob- 2″, Grip-1-5/8″, barrel to top- 2 1/4″, length-35 “. There is some damage on the barrel and the top.

Thank you,

Marin Pilat

A: Marin, You have the earliest label period used by Louisville Slugger from 1897-1906, maybe even a couple of years earlier. As to value, they are not as rare as most people would think given it is over 100 years old but quite a few survived (people just don’t have the heart to throw out a bat if it can /could still be used) and as such, a minty example usually sells in the $400-700 range but one with damage, depending on severity , might sell for less than $200. Hope this helps. PS. Louisville did not issue a player model store bat until Honus Wagner in 1905 so your bat would not have had any endorsement and these type bats were sold via retail outlets as well as having been used in organized ball.

Q: Mr. Bushing,
My son just purchased a wooden bat from a rummage sale and I am trying to find out
any history about it. The logo is imprinted with:
Louisville Mascot

13

Louisville Bat Co.

Made in U.S.A.

Louisville, KY

The signature at the end of the bat is Louisville Mascot Ted Williams Model. Thanks.

A: Louisville Mascot company was bought out by the Louisville Slugger company during the 1920’s and somewhere around here , I have a copy of the sale. During the 1920’s, they put out a line of signature endorsed decal player model bats, mostly of minor leaguers but some big name players from the Louisville line up such as Rogers Hornsby ( I have a copy of a mid 1920’s Mascot catalog and you will find some more info on a column I wrote on these bats in our news archive) and these bats, in top condition, sell for thousands but your 1940’s store model Williams bat, while quite rare to find a Mascot bat from this era with a player, would probably sell in the $200 range if gem mint not used and drop to half or more depending on the used condition.

Q. Mr. Bushing,

I’ve been referred to you regarding a Carl Yastrezmski bat with CY5 on the knob. I’m not interested in an appraisal, just curious about the quality of this bat – whether it was a general mass-market model or more selective than that – can’t find anything through Goggle. Any idea?

A: The CY5 mark on the knob of the bat indicates that it is a signature contract retail store model bat (CY stands for Carl Yastrezmski and the 5 is the length) and as such, even if mint, would not sell for over $75 in the secondary collector market. It was a top of the line model with regards to quality for a retail bat and if you could give more information as to the markings, I could narrow the mfg. date down for you as earlier examples from his rookie era years will sell quicker than a 1980’s version. Yaz played with the Red Sox for 23 seasons (1961-83) and is a member of the Hall of Fame.

Q: I have recently acquired an antique mini bat(about 16 inches) with the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. Louisville Slugger 40 imprint as well as an imprint of Joe DiMaggio’s signature from my aunt’s estate. Can you help me determine its value?
Thanks, David Smith

A: Your mini bat came in three sizes 14″, 16″ and the model 25 was 22″ . They came in natural finish with burned in markings and a brown or hickory finish with gold foil markings that were lightly heat pressed. They were sold at stadiums and thru the Louisville Slugger catalog for $.25 starting in the 1920’s and are still available today and just about everybody who had a signature contract got a mini bat so that local fans could buy one of their favorite player and not just superstars and Hall of Famers (future). Yours is fairly common from the 1930-40’s and if mint, would sell in the $75-150 range.

Q: Hi Dave: Just saw your name as a contact on the Louisville Slugger Museum site and had a question. I’m cleaning out my parent’s garage and found a wood Slugger bat marked 125 and the name Willie Davis. I played softball in the 50’s-to early 60’s in Philadelphia and don’t remember if this was my bat or if Dad had gotten this somewhere. Can you advise me how old this is and if it is worth auctioning or ebay’ing?I couldn’t find anything in the museum website. Thanks for any insight into this.

‘CJ’ Rozycki

A: Without any information as to how your bat is stamped (all burned in markings) I cannot tell you if you have a store model or game used bat and as such, the value of a store bat might be $10-20 while a nice early game bat might sell in the $250-400 range. Can you get me some more info?

Q: Hi Dave : I recently found an H & B 125 Babe Ruth bat 35 “, I think from the 1930’s. There is a large R stamped into the knob and it looks like it was done at the factory. Is there anything special about this bat ? I have not seen this R stamped in a knob before.

A: I would have to see a photograph of the bat and marking to determine why and who on this one. Once we determine age of bat and the style of bat, we can determine who put it there. Remember, they did a run of replica bats in the mid 1980’s as well and they were sold thru the mail order company of J. Peterman (sp) so a photo would help determine age of bat.

Q: Hi, my name is Adam and I have a Louisville Slugger that I received from my grandparents. It is definitely a softball bat as it says on the barrel but I know very little about it. I went on the official Louisville Slugger website and found out that the logo is from bats produced from 1948-1963. The wood is in pretty good condition but the tape on the handle is tattered. I am interested to know more about it and possibly a value.

Thank you for your time,

Adam Shugan

A: Adam, I get about a dozen emails a month on softball bats , often really nice vintage ones, but unfortunately, they have absolutely no collector value and seem to only have value at all simply as a decorator piece for bars, restaurants and kids rooms and the available supply outweighs the demand 10-1 so keep it as a memory from your grand parents or go out and hit some balls with it, that is what it was made for and should still have some hits left in it.

I spend a fair amount of time answering questions either over the phone or at shows I might be at. If you know me, I like to talk and talk about this stuff to no end at times. Collectors seem to enjoy asking me about a variety of items and are surprised that as a dealer, my first response is not how much do you want for it? I have always figured if someone is looking to sell something, they’ll let me know. Most of the time they just want some information, something I am always happy to provide if I can.

Here are some recent questions and answers that have come to me via e-mail recently:

Q: I saw your name listed as an expert in game-used bats. I have a question concerning a Paul Waner bat that’s supposedly from the 1940s. Is there anyway to tell, without being in the presence of the bat, whether it’s a store model or an actual ‘gamer’? It’s likely a store model, but I don’t have much knowledge of bats from that far back.

It has ‘125-PW’ inside the LS oval and “GENUINE / Paul Waner / LOUISVILLE SLUGGER” on the barrel. The knob is marked with 35 inches.

Thanks for your time,

Trent McCotter

Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)

A: Trent, your bat is indeed a store model bat. The giveaways are the inch marks on the knob and Paul Waners initials in the center following the model number 125. I could further nail down the dating as follows; if your bat has Trade Mark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. Under the center oval and does not have the phrase “Powerized” to the right of oval, then it is a 1920’s bat. If it has “Powerized” either alone or with “bone rubbed” or “oil tempered” or Pat. Pend. , depending on which, it is a 1931-33 if the same slogan appears under the oval. If yours has “Trade Mark Reg” under the oval, this first appears in 1934 thru 1949 and if “Reg U. S. Pat Off.” appears under the center brand, it is post 1950. As for value, a pre 1934 in really nice shape might sell for $3-400 or $2-300 if 1934-49 era.

Q. Hello, I would like to know what you charge to authenticate early Louisville Slugger bats. I have one that I described to you about a year ago and you said it was one of the first models…..Also, shipping info. Thanks

Jim Macon

A: We get asked this a lot. If you go to Mearsonline.com and go to the submissions page, there is a print out so you can list all the details of your item along with terms and turn around times as well as pricing for each which is don’t based on era and player status.

Q. I wanted to write you regarding an item I just acquired. It is a large circa 1910 quilt that is decorated with approximately 30 vintage pennants. Most of the pennants are college or tourist/advertising pennants, but 2 of them caught my eye. 1 is a circa 1910? Oversized White Sox pennant which measures in at about 38 inches long. The other is a 30 inch pennant that reads Metropolitan, with the letters MBC on the left. Could this be for the Metropolitan Baseball Club? The quilt does have some condition issues with some pennants missing, and loose stitching, so my plan was to remove the pennants. Based on some of the loose stitching, this could be done very easily, and the pennants would come off great with no damage. I wanted to get your opinion regarding the date and value of the Sox pennant, and as well get your opinion on the possibility of the Metropolitan pennant being for the Metropolitan baseball club. Also, in your opinion, would it be quilt despite its condition have more value in its entirety, and would it be unwise for me to remove the pennants?

Thanks much, I will be attaching photos to this email.

Keith

A: It is definitely a circa 1910 quilt but the only pennants of real value are the Sox pennant but because it does not say Chicago, it could be Red Sox or even a minor league affiliate. If taking it apart does not do too much damage, it might sell in the $500 range. The pennant that says “Metropolitan” with the intertwined BC could stand for the “Mets Ball Club but it is doubtful. First, the original “Mets” or Metropolitans were a league that existed from 1880-1887 as an independent professional team in New York. Most clubs at this time used the three letter abbreviation “BBC” for Base Ball Club as Baseball was not then used as a one word. I don’t think your pennant is that old but it is interesting and might sell for a few hundred dollars. It may be best that you leave it as an interesting blanket as I think it might sell for around $1000 as is.

Q. I acquired an old bat many years ago, and I was wondering if you can give me some information about it. It is labeled “Louisville Slugger, Made by F.Hillerich and Son Louisville, KY. Trademark.” The dimensions are approx.:Knob- 2″, Grip-1-5/8″, barrel to top- 2 1/4″, length-35 “. There is some damage on the barrel and the top.

Thank you,

Marin Pilat

A: Marin, You have the earliest label period used by Louisville Slugger from 1897-1906, maybe even a couple of years earlier. As to value, they are not as rare as most people would think given it is over 100 years old but quite a few survived (people just don’t have the heart to throw out a bat if it can /could still be used) and as such, a minty example usually sells in the $400-700 range but one with damage, depending on severity , might sell for less than $200. Hope this helps. PS. Louisville did not issue a player model store bat until Honus Wagner in 1905 so your bat would not have had any endorsement and these type bats were sold via retail outlets as well as having been used in organized ball.

Q: Mr. Bushing,
My son just purchased a wooden bat from a rummage sale and I am trying to find out
any history about it. The logo is imprinted with:
Louisville Mascot

13

Louisville Bat Co.

Made in U.S.A.

Louisville, KY

The signature at the end of the bat is Louisville Mascot Ted Williams Model. Thanks.

A: Louisville Mascot company was bought out by the Louisville Slugger company during the 1920’s and somewhere around here , I have a copy of the sale. During the 1920’s, they put out a line of signature endorsed decal player model bats, mostly of minor leaguers but some big name players from the Louisville line up such as Rogers Hornsby ( I have a copy of a mid 1920’s Mascot catalog and you will find some more info on a column I wrote on these bats in our news archive) and these bats, in top condition, sell for thousands but your 1940’s store model Williams bat, while quite rare to find a Mascot bat from this era with a player, would probably sell in the $200 range if gem mint not used and drop to half or more depending on the used condition.

Q. Mr. Bushing,

I’ve been referred to you regarding a Carl Yastrezmski bat with CY5 on the knob. I’m not interested in an appraisal, just curious about the quality of this bat – whether it was a general mass-market model or more selective than that – can’t find anything through Goggle. Any idea?

A: The CY5 mark on the knob of the bat indicates that it is a signature contract retail store model bat (CY stands for Carl Yastrezmski and the 5 is the length) and as such, even if mint, would not sell for over $75 in the secondary collector market. It was a top of the line model with regards to quality for a retail bat and if you could give more information as to the markings, I could narrow the mfg. date down for you as earlier examples from his rookie era years will sell quicker than a 1980’s version. Yaz played with the Red Sox for 23 seasons (1961-83) and is a member of the Hall of Fame.

Q: I have recently acquired an antique mini bat(about 16 inches) with the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. Louisville Slugger 40 imprint as well as an imprint of Joe DiMaggio’s signature from my aunt’s estate. Can you help me determine its value?
Thanks, David Smith

A: Your mini bat came in three sizes 14″, 16″ and the model 25 was 22″ . They came in natural finish with burned in markings and a brown or hickory finish with gold foil markings that were lightly heat pressed. They were sold at stadiums and thru the Louisville Slugger catalog for $.25 starting in the 1920’s and are still available today and just about everybody who had a signature contract got a mini bat so that local fans could buy one of their favorite player and not just superstars and Hall of Famers (future). Yours is fairly common from the 1930-40’s and if mint, would sell in the $75-150 range.

Q: Hi Dave: Just saw your name as a contact on the Louisville Slugger Museum site and had a question. I’m cleaning out my parent’s garage and found a wood Slugger bat marked 125 and the name Willie Davis. I played softball in the 50’s-to early 60’s in Philadelphia and don’t remember if this was my bat or if Dad had gotten this somewhere. Can you advise me how old this is and if it is worth auctioning or ebay’ing?I couldn’t find anything in the museum website. Thanks for any insight into this.

‘CJ’ Rozycki

A: Without any information as to how your bat is stamped (all burned in markings) I cannot tell you if you have a store model or game used bat and as such, the value of a store bat might be $10-20 while a nice early game bat might sell in the $250-400 range. Can you get me some more info?

Q: Hi Dave : I recently found an H & B 125 Babe Ruth bat 35 “, I think from the 1930’s. There is a large R stamped into the knob and it looks like it was done at the factory. Is there anything special about this bat ? I have not seen this R stamped in a knob before.

A: I would have to see a photograph of the bat and marking to determine why and who on this one. Once we determine age of bat and the style of bat, we can determine who put it there. Remember, they did a run of replica bats in the mid 1980’s as well and they were sold thru the mail order company of J. Peterman (sp) so a photo would help determine age of bat.

Q: Hi, my name is Adam and I have a Louisville Slugger that I received from my grandparents. It is definitely a softball bat as it says on the barrel but I know very little about it. I went on the official Louisville Slugger website and found out that the logo is from bats produced from 1948-1963. The wood is in pretty good condition but the tape on the handle is tattered. I am interested to know more about it and possibly a value.

Thank you for your time,

Adam Shugan

A: Adam, I get about a dozen emails a month on softball bats , often really nice vintage ones, but unfortunately, they have absolutely no collector value and seem to only have value at all simply as a decorator piece for bars, restaurants and kids rooms and the available supply outweighs the demand 10-1 so keep it as a memory from your grand parents or go out and hit some balls with it, that is what it was made for and should still have some hits left in it.

Bushing Mail Bag

Q. My father has three old Louisville Bats and is attempting to find out their age. Here is what is printed on the barrel of each.

J F Hillerich&Sons Co Professional League NO. 18

Louisville Slugger 40 DB Hillerich&Bradsby Co

Louisville Slugger 125 SP H&B Co official slow pitch softball

Could you please advise the age of each of these models?

A. The J.F.Hillerich bat was made from 1911-15, the H&B Diamond Ball (DB) and the slow pitch bats are newer, probably 1940-50’s, not listed in any of the early catalogs.

Q. Hi Dave, I got your name from the Louisville Slugger Museum website and was hoping you could help me. My name is Ken Warren and I recently received a Louisville Slugger in the shape of a Billy club. I have been unable to find any information on it. It measures 23″ long, appears to be made of hickory? the stamped oval reads: LOUISVILLE SLUGGER, …-, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Trademark, LOUISVILLE, KY. My questions are is this a Billy club or a salmon priest (fish knocker) or?, What type of wood is it made from?, What do the three dots and dash mean?, How old is it?, Are they still available?, Would you have an approximate value. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much, Ken Warren.

A. It is indeed a Billy club and they are not rare. They were made and offered by the company in the 1930-40’s. They have one in their museum. No real collector value.

Q. David, I have a Dave Winfield Yankees Era, uncracked bat, with moderate to heavy game use and no deadwood. Proper # on the knob. In your honest opinion about what is this bat worth? My sincere thanks, and its a Cooper bat.
Den

A. Not rare but it is the best era you could own of a Winfield but a Cooper bat is not worth anywhere near what someone would pay for a like era Louisville Slugger. Should sell in the $750 range.

Q. Dave, Here’s the story: This bat supposedly originated with Hank Aaron. It found its way to Richmond back in the early 1970s (1971 or 1972-ish). The best guess is a Player brought it back from spring training — if it turns out to be Authentic. Anyway, one of the batboys ended up with it and has had it All these years. It came up in conversation and I’m just curious if it is indeed what he claims it to be? The bat is cracked and has “44” on The knob. There’s no evidence of pine tar on the handle.

A. I need to know details as to the length, markings, etc. to determine era, use and value.

Q. Here’s the question:
Is it possible that this is a gamer or at least a game-issue bat?
My reader checked everything he could and can’t find much on this model
Number. However your guide does indicate that Aaron used 229A Adirondack bats, but it doesn’t what years.

A. The 229 A models are found on the 1971-76 era bats. Value with good use would be in the $4-5000 range.

Q. I was referred to you by Steven at Keyman Collectibles. He said you may be able to help date a baseball bat. A few days ago, I saw a 35 “Louisville Slugger for sale. It was a Professional Joe DiMaggio Model. The number inside the oval, right near the bottom, just above Louisville, KY was 150. On the barrel is “It’s a Louisville”. Can you help date and possibly price this bat (looks in great condition, no cracks or chips)?

A. This is a lower price model in which the name will appear in block letters instead of the signature style found on higher price models. Joe DiMaggio was added to the Louisville Slugger line in his rookie season (1936) in the major leagues, a very rare occurrence to find a store model bat found for sale in his rookie season. Value for a mint example would be in the $100 range.

Q. Hope all is well. I am trying to date a wire photo. It shows Joe Jackson wearing an American flag patch on his uniform. I cannot confirm the precise year. What year would that have been?

A. The White Sox wore the American Flag Patch on their uniforms in 1917-18 in support of the troops during WW1.

Q. Hello Dave,
I had a question that I asked my friend Mike Hoevet and he gave me some answers, but said I should ask you about post career bat values especially for the DiMaggio bat that I have. Here is a portion of my email:
I have a question about some bats that I picked up at a local flea market. I picked up 4 Louisville Slugger bats (Ed Matthews, Mickey Mantle, Joe Di Maggio, and MAYS (I’m assuming Willie)). All are branded with the signatures and not foil stamped. The MAYS is the only one that isn’t script. The model numbers on the knobs are:
DiMaggio D29, MAYS F4, Mantle K55, and Matthews S2.
The lengths are:
DiMaggio: 34 1/2″
MAYS: 32 1/2″
Mantle: 33 1/2″
Matthews: 33 1/2″
I recently read a post Mike did about the registered trade mark. And the 3 have the “R” following the slugger’s R. The MAYS has the REG US PAT OFF under the center label. Any idea on value? I probably won’t sell, but was very curious on history.
All are in great shape, but have a college name branded on them. 3 say Whittier college and the other say Univ of Redlands (my alma mater). I’m assuming these were from those particular colleges to use.

So, are these store model bats? Any ideas on the value? Any information that you could provide would for me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time…Ricky Anderson

A. The Mays is a 1950-64 label period (could be narrowed down with pics) while the others are all post 1965. They are not store bats per say as they could not be purchased by the public and they are patterned after game model bats and are specially made for the collegian market. As to value, they might sell in the $100 range each if nice.

Q. Dave, I got your name off the Louisville Slugger museum website. Back in 1968 I pulled an old baseball bat from a pile of wood my grandmother was going to use for her wood burning stove. It was an old Louisville Slugger and the name on the bat didn’t ring any bells with the players I knew of. I used the bat a couple of times and then just put it away. To make along story short I got on the Internet and found out the ball player on the bat was inducted into the hall of fame in 1968. His name was Hazen Shirley Cuyler and played in the 1920’s and 30’s. Based on the seal the bat dates between 1916 to 1929 You can still read Cuyler’s entire name and the bat was bone rubbed. Any idea on what it’s worth?

A. He was indeed a great ballplayer for both the Cubs and Pirates and your bat does date to the 1920’s as he came up in 1921 and he got a signature contract in 1921and the bats got the “Powerized” slogan adopted in 1931 so that places your bat from 1924-29. If it is a model 125 and does not have any inch marks on the knob, then it is a pro model and value would depend on length, condition (use) and markings. A game bat would sell in the $2500-4500 range. If it has inch marks or is a model 40, then the value would be in the $200 range.

Q. I found your email address on the Louisville Slugger Museum website. I received a bat from my father back in the late 1960’s. It is a Louisville Slugger, 125, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Made in U.S.A., Louisville, KY., Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. , Genuine George “Babe” Ruth Louisville Slugger. It Is a 34 inch bat. On the end of the bat handle it says R43. The bat was kept in storage and is in very good condition. Can you direct me to a person that can possibly identify the bat’s value?
Please email any further questions. Jon/Paul K

A. They didn’t start putting model numbers on bats until 1943-45 and Ruth’s last season was 1935 as a player and 1938 as a manager. The Reg US Pat Off. Under the circle did not start until 1950 thru 1964. As such, your pro stock bat would only be valued in the $3-400 range.

Q. Wanted to know if you could help me out. I was reading the web page
of Hillerich & Bradsby Co. they mention in the article that maybe you could help. I came across a Hillerich & Bradsby Co. “King Of The Field” bat. It is 33” long and weighs a hefty 37ozs. There are no cracks and the knob has no chips. What year would it be and any price it would be worth. I see it does not have the standard Hillerich & Bradsby Co logo.
Thank you for your time.

A. These were quality flame burned bats offered from the 1920-30’s, the early models having a colorful decal and then simply burned in. Mint decal bats sell in the $4-500 while the printed ones are in the $100-200 range.

Q. I have a 1957 Louisville Slugger Bat from the Milwaukee Braves World Championship; this bat is black with gold facsimile signatures of all the players. Some of the more popular names on the bat include: Henry Aaron, Ed Mathews, Del Crandall, Al Schoendienst, John Logan, Lew Burdette and Warren Spahn. I acquired it 25 years ago. It has been protected in a bat case and has never been exposed to sunlight. I would say it is in excellent to mint condition. I have attached some pictures. I am trying to get an idea of what it is worth. I would appreciate any info you can give me on this bat. Thank You, Greg

A. The practice of Louisville offering specially stamped bats to the winners of both leagues in 1935 (they made one for the 1934 Tigers but not the Cardinals and the early bats were brown until late 1930’s) They were given to players, staff, and writers and were made in the 200-300 range as to production. A mint 1957, the first year the Milwaukee Braves won a National League Championship. Minty value would be in the $4-500 range.

Q. Hi My name is Dawn Vollbrecht and I have a bat from 1974 when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth’s record. The bat was a promotional bat on display at the store where my father worked. He won the drawing and received it and gave it to me. It has a metal plate on it with Hank Aaron’s signature engraved and was supposed to be sent in to have the 715 and the date engraved on it too, but my father never did that. I was too young at the time to know to do it. Is this bat worth anything?

A. A promotion in which they gave away bats, pins, etc and it was hugely popular and they made and distributed a lot of these. Current value in mint condition is $100-150.

Q. Hi there! My name is Nate and have tried collecting game used bats for a few years now. I’m not too interested in the price of my bats, but mostly the origin of where they came from. I would like to know how many bats a player ordered for a particular model. Do you have any way to find that out? I tried to contact Louisville Slugger and they directed me to you. For example, I came across a Nelson Mathews bat a few months ago. Not a big name, but a neat bat at a great price nevertheless and was part of the Paul Hill collection at one time. Its model on the knob was K55. Then, I happen to come across yet another one just a few weeks ago. Looks exactly the same except this one has a model of M110. So I guess my question is….. could both of these bats be authentic? And if so, do you know how many bats were ordered for each model by him? These bats look awesome, one is cracked at the barrel, both have a little pine tar, green rack marks going down the bat and his #5 on each knob of both. One was actually signed at the end of the barrel for Paul Hill. Well, any info would help out a lot. Thanks, -Nate

A. Nelson had a six year major league career with the Cubs and Athletics (1960-65) but he only wore number 5 in 1964-65 with the A’s and he could have ordered and probably did order several different models as did most players but we do not have his records to double check but as to value, maybe $100-200 range.

Q. Hello…I have a Mickey Mantle bat dated between 1948-1963 #125 also, 33 oz ”powerized” could this have been used by Mickey ? Thanks Bill

A. He did use a model 125 bat but what is stamped on the knob (it must have a model number i.e. M110, K55, P102 etc.), what is the length, what is stamped on barrel and under center brand, without such information, I can’t tell if it was a game bat or a store model.

Q. I am trying to find out a little more about a bat found last week while helping my father sort through my mother’s things after her death. I did not know my mother ever played ball but my dad said she played in high school. (she was born in 1922 so her high school years would have been in the late 1930s) The bat is labeled as an Official-Indoor bat. It is knobbed, 34 inches long and 2 inches in diameter at the fat end. The label is (above an oval) Hillerich & Bradsby Co., (in an oval it says) Made in U.S.A., Indoor, No 54, (below the oval) Louisville, KY., (outside the oval just below the midpoint, between the the company name and city) a “?” mark on each side. Any information you can give me about the date of manufacture and use of this bat would be appreciated. Chris Taylor

A. This model is in many of the 1930-50’s bats and these never had a player endorsement and as such, have no real collector value at this time. On eBay, at best. $25

Q. Two years ago you helped me solve the mystery of my Roger Wattler bat, and I hope that you can come to my rescue again. I’ve read and re-read pages 20 and 21 of your Mastro book, but I remain puzzled by a bat that has come into my possession. I’ve pinpointed it as a 1931 Louisville Slugger, but the player name is that of Bill Moore. Problem: Moore was a light-hitting, little-used catcher for the 1926-27 Red Sox. Why would H&B be turning out a bat for him four years after he went into obscurity?
Characteristics of the bat:

* 33 3/4″ long.
* 1 1/8″ (medium-thick) handle.
* 1 3/4″ (small) knob.
* M (?) and 3 stamped at angles on end.
* Player stamp on barrel noticeably deeper than logo.

Obviously, it wasn’t game-used. But what would’ve been H&B’s reason for turning it out?

Now for the Roger Wattler bat puzzle. I finally located him in Fenton, MO, and he seemed very flattered that I had one of his bats. Seems that he played for the Mets’ club in the Midwest League in 1962-63 and received two-dozen bats from H&B each year. He broke many of the approximately 50 that were lathed, he estimated, and said that I probably owned one of the few that remain.

Hope I can do as interesting a provenance on my Bill Moore bat. Jerry Marshall, Marshall Antiques, Clayton, MO

A. There should be no model number stamped on knob so the “M” and 3 are confusing. If a store model, would have length stamped on knob. If it has a model number on knob, it was made after 1943. As for Bill Moore, there were two playing during that era, Bill H who you refer to as playing for the Red Sox, this would be Bill H. and the reason you have a post 1931 bat is that he played in both 1930 Nashville, 1931 Mobile. He was with Mobile from 1928-29 as well. The other Bill Moore is Bill C and he played from 1923-32 with all but one year (tigers 1925) in the minor leagues. In either case, the Bill H. would sell in the $2-300 range. The other Bill (Bill C) would probably sell in the $100-150 range. Both would be a post major league bat. It was quite common for H&B to make bats for minor league players, even signature models.

Bushing Mail Bag

Q. My father has three old Louisville Bats and is attempting to find out their age. Here is what is printed on the barrel of each.

J F Hillerich&Sons Co Professional League NO. 18

Louisville Slugger 40 DB Hillerich&Bradsby Co

Louisville Slugger 125 SP H&B Co official slow pitch softball

Could you please advise the age of each of these models?

A. The J.F.Hillerich bat was made from 1911-15, the H&B Diamond Ball (DB) and the slow pitch bats are newer, probably 1940-50’s, not listed in any of the early catalogs.

Q. Hi Dave, I got your name from the Louisville Slugger Museum website and was hoping you could help me. My name is Ken Warren and I recently received a Louisville Slugger in the shape of a Billy club. I have been unable to find any information on it. It measures 23″ long, appears to be made of hickory? the stamped oval reads: LOUISVILLE SLUGGER, …-, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Trademark, LOUISVILLE, KY. My questions are is this a Billy club or a salmon priest (fish knocker) or?, What type of wood is it made from?, What do the three dots and dash mean?, How old is it?, Are they still available?, Would you have an approximate value. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much, Ken Warren.

A. It is indeed a Billy club and they are not rare. They were made and offered by the company in the 1930-40’s. They have one in their museum. No real collector value.

Q. David, I have a Dave Winfield Yankees Era, uncracked bat, with moderate to heavy game use and no deadwood. Proper # on the knob. In your honest opinion about what is this bat worth? My sincere thanks, and its a Cooper bat.
Den

A. Not rare but it is the best era you could own of a Winfield but a Cooper bat is not worth anywhere near what someone would pay for a like era Louisville Slugger. Should sell in the $750 range.

Q. Dave, Here’s the story: This bat supposedly originated with Hank Aaron. It found its way to Richmond back in the early 1970s (1971 or 1972-ish). The best guess is a Player brought it back from spring training — if it turns out to be Authentic. Anyway, one of the batboys ended up with it and has had it All these years. It came up in conversation and I’m just curious if it is indeed what he claims it to be? The bat is cracked and has “44” on The knob. There’s no evidence of pine tar on the handle.

A. I need to know details as to the length, markings, etc. to determine era, use and value.

Q. Here’s the question:
Is it possible that this is a gamer or at least a game-issue bat?
My reader checked everything he could and can’t find much on this model
Number. However your guide does indicate that Aaron used 229A Adirondack bats, but it doesn’t what years.

A. The 229 A models are found on the 1971-76 era bats. Value with good use would be in the $4-5000 range.

Q. I was referred to you by Steven at Keyman Collectibles. He said you may be able to help date a baseball bat. A few days ago, I saw a 35 “Louisville Slugger for sale. It was a Professional Joe DiMaggio Model. The number inside the oval, right near the bottom, just above Louisville, KY was 150. On the barrel is “It’s a Louisville”. Can you help date and possibly price this bat (looks in great condition, no cracks or chips)?

A. This is a lower price model in which the name will appear in block letters instead of the signature style found on higher price models. Joe DiMaggio was added to the Louisville Slugger line in his rookie season (1936) in the major leagues, a very rare occurrence to find a store model bat found for sale in his rookie season. Value for a mint example would be in the $100 range.

Q. Hope all is well. I am trying to date a wire photo. It shows Joe Jackson wearing an American flag patch on his uniform. I cannot confirm the precise year. What year would that have been?

A. The White Sox wore the American Flag Patch on their uniforms in 1917-18 in support of the troops during WW1.

Q. Hello Dave,
I had a question that I asked my friend Mike Hoevet and he gave me some answers, but said I should ask you about post career bat values especially for the DiMaggio bat that I have. Here is a portion of my email:
I have a question about some bats that I picked up at a local flea market. I picked up 4 Louisville Slugger bats (Ed Matthews, Mickey Mantle, Joe Di Maggio, and MAYS (I’m assuming Willie)). All are branded with the signatures and not foil stamped. The MAYS is the only one that isn’t script. The model numbers on the knobs are:
DiMaggio D29, MAYS F4, Mantle K55, and Matthews S2.
The lengths are:
DiMaggio: 34 1/2″
MAYS: 32 1/2″
Mantle: 33 1/2″
Matthews: 33 1/2″
I recently read a post Mike did about the registered trade mark. And the 3 have the “R” following the slugger’s R. The MAYS has the REG US PAT OFF under the center label. Any idea on value? I probably won’t sell, but was very curious on history.
All are in great shape, but have a college name branded on them. 3 say Whittier college and the other say Univ of Redlands (my alma mater). I’m assuming these were from those particular colleges to use.

So, are these store model bats? Any ideas on the value? Any information that you could provide would for me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time…Ricky Anderson

A. The Mays is a 1950-64 label period (could be narrowed down with pics) while the others are all post 1965. They are not store bats per say as they could not be purchased by the public and they are patterned after game model bats and are specially made for the collegian market. As to value, they might sell in the $100 range each if nice.

Q. Dave, I got your name off the Louisville Slugger museum website. Back in 1968 I pulled an old baseball bat from a pile of wood my grandmother was going to use for her wood burning stove. It was an old Louisville Slugger and the name on the bat didn’t ring any bells with the players I knew of. I used the bat a couple of times and then just put it away. To make along story short I got on the Internet and found out the ball player on the bat was inducted into the hall of fame in 1968. His name was Hazen Shirley Cuyler and played in the 1920’s and 30’s. Based on the seal the bat dates between 1916 to 1929 You can still read Cuyler’s entire name and the bat was bone rubbed. Any idea on what it’s worth?

A. He was indeed a great ballplayer for both the Cubs and Pirates and your bat does date to the 1920’s as he came up in 1921 and he got a signature contract in 1921and the bats got the “Powerized” slogan adopted in 1931 so that places your bat from 1924-29. If it is a model 125 and does not have any inch marks on the knob, then it is a pro model and value would depend on length, condition (use) and markings. A game bat would sell in the $2500-4500 range. If it has inch marks or is a model 40, then the value would be in the $200 range.

Q. I found your email address on the Louisville Slugger Museum website. I received a bat from my father back in the late 1960’s. It is a Louisville Slugger, 125, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Made in U.S.A., Louisville, KY., Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. , Genuine George “Babe” Ruth Louisville Slugger. It Is a 34 inch bat. On the end of the bat handle it says R43. The bat was kept in storage and is in very good condition. Can you direct me to a person that can possibly identify the bat’s value?
Please email any further questions. Jon/Paul K

A. They didn’t start putting model numbers on bats until 1943-45 and Ruth’s last season was 1935 as a player and 1938 as a manager. The Reg US Pat Off. Under the circle did not start until 1950 thru 1964. As such, your pro stock bat would only be valued in the $3-400 range.

Q. Wanted to know if you could help me out. I was reading the web page
of Hillerich & Bradsby Co. they mention in the article that maybe you could help. I came across a Hillerich & Bradsby Co. “King Of The Field” bat. It is 33” long and weighs a hefty 37ozs. There are no cracks and the knob has no chips. What year would it be and any price it would be worth. I see it does not have the standard Hillerich & Bradsby Co logo.
Thank you for your time.

A. These were quality flame burned bats offered from the 1920-30’s, the early models having a colorful decal and then simply burned in. Mint decal bats sell in the $4-500 while the printed ones are in the $100-200 range.

Q. I have a 1957 Louisville Slugger Bat from the Milwaukee Braves World Championship; this bat is black with gold facsimile signatures of all the players. Some of the more popular names on the bat include: Henry Aaron, Ed Mathews, Del Crandall, Al Schoendienst, John Logan, Lew Burdette and Warren Spahn. I acquired it 25 years ago. It has been protected in a bat case and has never been exposed to sunlight. I would say it is in excellent to mint condition. I have attached some pictures. I am trying to get an idea of what it is worth. I would appreciate any info you can give me on this bat. Thank You, Greg

A. The practice of Louisville offering specially stamped bats to the winners of both leagues in 1935 (they made one for the 1934 Tigers but not the Cardinals and the early bats were brown until late 1930’s) They were given to players, staff, and writers and were made in the 200-300 range as to production. A mint 1957, the first year the Milwaukee Braves won a National League Championship. Minty value would be in the $4-500 range.

Q. Hi My name is Dawn Vollbrecht and I have a bat from 1974 when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth’s record. The bat was a promotional bat on display at the store where my father worked. He won the drawing and received it and gave it to me. It has a metal plate on it with Hank Aaron’s signature engraved and was supposed to be sent in to have the 715 and the date engraved on it too, but my father never did that. I was too young at the time to know to do it. Is this bat worth anything?

A. A promotion in which they gave away bats, pins, etc and it was hugely popular and they made and distributed a lot of these. Current value in mint condition is $100-150.

Q. Hi there! My name is Nate and have tried collecting game used bats for a few years now. I’m not too interested in the price of my bats, but mostly the origin of where they came from. I would like to know how many bats a player ordered for a particular model. Do you have any way to find that out? I tried to contact Louisville Slugger and they directed me to you. For example, I came across a Nelson Mathews bat a few months ago. Not a big name, but a neat bat at a great price nevertheless and was part of the Paul Hill collection at one time. Its model on the knob was K55. Then, I happen to come across yet another one just a few weeks ago. Looks exactly the same except this one has a model of M110. So I guess my question is….. could both of these bats be authentic? And if so, do you know how many bats were ordered for each model by him? These bats look awesome, one is cracked at the barrel, both have a little pine tar, green rack marks going down the bat and his #5 on each knob of both. One was actually signed at the end of the barrel for Paul Hill. Well, any info would help out a lot. Thanks, -Nate

A. Nelson had a six year major league career with the Cubs and Athletics (1960-65) but he only wore number 5 in 1964-65 with the A’s and he could have ordered and probably did order several different models as did most players but we do not have his records to double check but as to value, maybe $100-200 range.

Q. Hello…I have a Mickey Mantle bat dated between 1948-1963 #125 also, 33 oz ”powerized” could this have been used by Mickey ? Thanks Bill

A. He did use a model 125 bat but what is stamped on the knob (it must have a model number i.e. M110, K55, P102 etc.), what is the length, what is stamped on barrel and under center brand, without such information, I can’t tell if it was a game bat or a store model.

Q. I am trying to find out a little more about a bat found last week while helping my father sort through my mother’s things after her death. I did not know my mother ever played ball but my dad said she played in high school. (she was born in 1922 so her high school years would have been in the late 1930s) The bat is labeled as an Official-Indoor bat. It is knobbed, 34 inches long and 2 inches in diameter at the fat end. The label is (above an oval) Hillerich & Bradsby Co., (in an oval it says) Made in U.S.A., Indoor, No 54, (below the oval) Louisville, KY., (outside the oval just below the midpoint, between the the company name and city) a “?” mark on each side. Any information you can give me about the date of manufacture and use of this bat would be appreciated. Chris Taylor

A. This model is in many of the 1930-50’s bats and these never had a player endorsement and as such, have no real collector value at this time. On eBay, at best. $25

Q. Two years ago you helped me solve the mystery of my Roger Wattler bat, and I hope that you can come to my rescue again. I’ve read and re-read pages 20 and 21 of your Mastro book, but I remain puzzled by a bat that has come into my possession. I’ve pinpointed it as a 1931 Louisville Slugger, but the player name is that of Bill Moore. Problem: Moore was a light-hitting, little-used catcher for the 1926-27 Red Sox. Why would H&B be turning out a bat for him four years after he went into obscurity?
Characteristics of the bat:

* 33 3/4″ long.
* 1 1/8″ (medium-thick) handle.
* 1 3/4″ (small) knob.
* M (?) and 3 stamped at angles on end.
* Player stamp on barrel noticeably deeper than logo.

Obviously, it wasn’t game-used. But what would’ve been H&B’s reason for turning it out?

Now for the Roger Wattler bat puzzle. I finally located him in Fenton, MO, and he seemed very flattered that I had one of his bats. Seems that he played for the Mets’ club in the Midwest League in 1962-63 and received two-dozen bats from H&B each year. He broke many of the approximately 50 that were lathed, he estimated, and said that I probably owned one of the few that remain.

Hope I can do as interesting a provenance on my Bill Moore bat. Jerry Marshall, Marshall Antiques, Clayton, MO

A. There should be no model number stamped on knob so the “M” and 3 are confusing. If a store model, would have length stamped on knob. If it has a model number on knob, it was made after 1943. As for Bill Moore, there were two playing during that era, Bill H who you refer to as playing for the Red Sox, this would be Bill H. and the reason you have a post 1931 bat is that he played in both 1930 Nashville, 1931 Mobile. He was with Mobile from 1928-29 as well. The other Bill Moore is Bill C and he played from 1923-32 with all but one year (tigers 1925) in the minor leagues. In either case, the Bill H. would sell in the $2-300 range. The other Bill (Bill C) would probably sell in the $100-150 range. Both would be a post major league bat. It was quite common for H&B to make bats for minor league players, even signature models.

Q. I tried to do some research on a baseball bat that my brother-in-law recently purchased at an estate sale by using the H&B web-site and it so happens that the website referred me to you. Hopefully you can shed some light on this item. I have enclosed a few pictures so that maybe it will help you give me some history / background. In addition to the H&B logo, the bat has the following markings: Donated by New York Yankees – Special – Soft Hit- Mickey Mantle and it measures 32 inches in length. Thanks for your help and please let me know what your thoughts are.

A. You have a retail or store model “Safe Hit” model from the late 50-early 60’s. As it is marked “donated by the Yankees”, they would have purchased the bats from Louisville Slugger, and then given them away. The use of the word “donated” does not denote a bat day give away but would have be more in line with a give away to a local school or fund raiser. Current value on a gem mint example given the rather scarce stamping would be in the $150 range.

Q. I have 4 bats- Louisville slugger models including Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Yogi Berra and Henry Aaron. Are they worth anything?

A. This is a question which we are often asked yet cannot be answered accurately due to the lack of details in the question. They are more than likely going to be retail or store model bats and if all were gem mint and pre 1980 (Louisville Slugger introduced the new logo this season), depending on length and how early, they could be worth $50-100 each. Now if they were game used or issued bats from the playing days of those players and matched factory shipping records (possible if they were handed down from an ex player, team manager, etc, etc. ) the Jackie Robinson alone could sell for upwards of $75,000, the Berra at $5-8000, Clemente $7-15,000 and Aaron at $6-10,000. I would need to know the length, weight and model on knob along with any hand written numbers along with all factory stamps to even start to determine what you have, from that point , the use would be the next area for close examination which needs at the very least, a great set of pics.

Q. I have a Louisville slugger m110 34 inches says George Brett and has a number 5 on the knob how can I be sure it belonged to him it looks pretty old.

A. I would assume that be mentioning Louisville Slugger, that you have a center brand that did not begin until 1980 which would eliminate the record of the first bat ever sent to Brett in 1971 which was an order of 6 ash bats at 34.5” and 32 oz. Through out the 1980’s, there were records of model M110’s being shipped but none to Brett, all of which were sent as some sort of baseball promotions. In 1990, there will be nothing printed beneath Brett’s name and from 1991 on, the team name would have been stamped under his name. Given all of this, you more than likely have one of the baseball promotion models from the 1980’s. Value would only be in the $1-150 range as a pro model.

Q. I just won this Chris Chambliss game used Yankee hat last week and I was wondering if you could tell me the year its from if you know. Maybe you know when the yank’s started to wear these hats or something. Thanks

A. New Era began supplying Yankee hats in the mid 1960’s at the earliest with McAuliffe and Spalding supplying them before that. One thing that seems to be constant with Yankee hats is that they were not consistent. If you study pictures of every year Chambliss was with the Yankees, you will find differences in the NY, sometimes quite obvious and often quite subtle but you should be able to narrow it down to a few seasons. Wilson hat have a dating code inside which makes the job of narrowing down a specific year much easier.

Q. I have two Louisville Slugger Wood Baseball Bats that are in need of some cleaning and touch up work. My Great Uncle was the clubhouse manager for the Baltimore Orioles in 1970 and 1971 when they won the World Series. He received a personalized bat with his name on it and the Baltimore Orioles in ’71. In 1970 he received a team world series bat, which I think only a hundred are made. These bats are now mine and I would like to also mount them on the wall but don’t know how. Could you help me answer these two questions?

A. To clean up a natural finish bat, one without varnish, I use Homer Formby’s furniture cleaner (in a can similar to turpentine). It takes off paint and dirt but will also dull the finish on a varnished (dipped) bat. For these, only a good strong soap and water will do if you wish to not harm the finish. The cleaner will also take off any foil printing so make sure the bats have the burned in markings. Then apply a paste min-wax. You can use the dark finish wax on black bats but don’t ever use any cleaner on them. For mounting, best to build a rack and hang them don’t drill holes directly into the bat as this will hurt value.

Q. I found your email address on the Louisville Slugger Museum website. I received a bat from my father back in the late 1960’s. It is a Louisville Slugger, 125, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Made in U.S.A., Louisville, KY., Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. , Genuine George “Babe” Ruth Louisville Slugger. It is a 34 inch bat. On the end of the bat handle it says R43. The bat was kept in storage and is in very good condition. Can you direct me to a person that can possibly identify the bat’s value?

A. Babe Ruth died in 1948 and the phrase “Reg US Pat. Off” under the center brand is indicative of a bat made after 1949 so he could not have used this bat. In addition, Babe made his last major league appearance as a player in 1935 with the Boston Braves and finally as a coach with the Dodgers in 1938 yet the use of model numbers on the knob (R43) was not introduced into the Louisville Slugger system until 1943-45 (it took several years to catalog every model to that date). What you have is a 1950’s pro stock Ruth bat made well after he died and played and as such, value is relatively low, usually selling in the $300-500 range.

Q. I got your name off the Louisville Slugger museum website. Back in 1968 I pulled an old baseball bat from a pile of wood my grandmother was going to use for her wood burning stove. It was an old Louisville Slugger and the name on the bat didn’t ring any bells with the players I knew of. I used the bat a couple of times and then just put it away. To make along story short I got on the Internet and found out the ball player on the bat was inducted into the hall of fame in 1968. His name was Hazen Shirley Cuyler and played in the 1920’s and 30’s . Based on the seal the bat dates between 1916 to 1929 you can still read all of Cuyler’s name and the bat was bone rubbed. Any idea on what it’s worth?

A.You failed to give me some vital information such as model in the center brand. Is it a 125, 40, 125 HC, 40 HC, or even a junior model. I assume it is a signature model and the fact that it is stamped bone rubbed instead of powerized means it was made before 1931. Cuyler was a great ball player who was on the Pirates in both 1925 and 1927 as well as playing for years with the Chicago Cubs including 1929, 32 and 35. If you have a 125 model with no inch marks i.e. 35” , and it is in nice condition with use but no problems, you probably have a game model bat worth $4-5000. If it is a store model such as a 125 with inch marks on the knob, would sell in the $400 range with other models selling in the $2-300 range if nice.

Q.Dear Dave, I contacted you by email over a year ago about a souvenir bat with the name Jack Tising on it. I sent it to his surviving relative in Missouri and she wrote me to say it is now hanging in a family run museum in High Points. Thank you for your help in this matter.

A. This is a nice story. We have put items back with their original owners several times and I really enjoy such events.

Until next time ,

David Bushing

Q. I tried to do some research on a baseball bat that my brother-in-law recently purchased at an estate sale by using the H&B web-site and it so happens that the website referred me to you. Hopefully you can shed some light on this item. I have enclosed a few pictures so that maybe it will help you give me some history / background. In addition to the H&B logo, the bat has the following markings: Donated by New York Yankees – Special – Soft Hit- Mickey Mantle and it measures 32 inches in length. Thanks for your help and please let me know what your thoughts are.

A. You have a retail or store model “Safe Hit” model from the late 50-early 60’s. As it is marked “donated by the Yankees”, they would have purchased the bats from Louisville Slugger, and then given them away. The use of the word “donated” does not denote a bat day give away but would have be more in line with a give away to a local school or fund raiser. Current value on a gem mint example given the rather scarce stamping would be in the $150 range.

Q. I have 4 bats- Louisville slugger models including Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Yogi Berra and Henry Aaron. Are they worth anything?

A. This is a question which we are often asked yet cannot be answered accurately due to the lack of details in the question. They are more than likely going to be retail or store model bats and if all were gem mint and pre 1980 (Louisville Slugger introduced the new logo this season), depending on length and how early, they could be worth $50-100 each. Now if they were game used or issued bats from the playing days of those players and matched factory shipping records (possible if they were handed down from an ex player, team manager, etc, etc. ) the Jackie Robinson alone could sell for upwards of $75,000, the Berra at $5-8000, Clemente $7-15,000 and Aaron at $6-10,000. I would need to know the length, weight and model on knob along with any hand written numbers along with all factory stamps to even start to determine what you have, from that point , the use would be the next area for close examination which needs at the very least, a great set of pics.

Q. I have a Louisville slugger m110 34 inches says George Brett and has a number 5 on the knob how can I be sure it belonged to him it looks pretty old.

A. I would assume that be mentioning Louisville Slugger, that you have a center brand that did not begin until 1980 which would eliminate the record of the first bat ever sent to Brett in 1971 which was an order of 6 ash bats at 34.5” and 32 oz. Through out the 1980’s, there were records of model M110’s being shipped but none to Brett, all of which were sent as some sort of baseball promotions. In 1990, there will be nothing printed beneath Brett’s name and from 1991 on, the team name would have been stamped under his name. Given all of this, you more than likely have one of the baseball promotion models from the 1980’s. Value would only be in the $1-150 range as a pro model.

Q. I just won this Chris Chambliss game used Yankee hat last week and I was wondering if you could tell me the year its from if you know. Maybe you know when the yank’s started to wear these hats or something. Thanks

A. New Era began supplying Yankee hats in the mid 1960’s at the earliest with McAuliffe and Spalding supplying them before that. One thing that seems to be constant with Yankee hats is that they were not consistent. If you study pictures of every year Chambliss was with the Yankees, you will find differences in the NY, sometimes quite obvious and often quite subtle but you should be able to narrow it down to a few seasons. Wilson hat have a dating code inside which makes the job of narrowing down a specific year much easier.

Q. I have two Louisville Slugger Wood Baseball Bats that are in need of some cleaning and touch up work. My Great Uncle was the clubhouse manager for the Baltimore Orioles in 1970 and 1971 when they won the World Series. He received a personalized bat with his name on it and the Baltimore Orioles in ’71. In 1970 he received a team world series bat, which I think only a hundred are made. These bats are now mine and I would like to also mount them on the wall but don’t know how. Could you help me answer these two questions?

A. To clean up a natural finish bat, one without varnish, I use Homer Formby’s furniture cleaner (in a can similar to turpentine). It takes off paint and dirt but will also dull the finish on a varnished (dipped) bat. For these, only a good strong soap and water will do if you wish to not harm the finish. The cleaner will also take off any foil printing so make sure the bats have the burned in markings. Then apply a paste min-wax. You can use the dark finish wax on black bats but don’t ever use any cleaner on them. For mounting, best to build a rack and hang them don’t drill holes directly into the bat as this will hurt value.

Q. I found your email address on the Louisville Slugger Museum website. I received a bat from my father back in the late 1960’s. It is a Louisville Slugger, 125, Hillerich & Bradsby Co., Made in U.S.A., Louisville, KY., Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. , Genuine George “Babe” Ruth Louisville Slugger. It is a 34 inch bat. On the end of the bat handle it says R43. The bat was kept in storage and is in very good condition. Can you direct me to a person that can possibly identify the bat’s value?

A. Babe Ruth died in 1948 and the phrase “Reg US Pat. Off” under the center brand is indicative of a bat made after 1949 so he could not have used this bat. In addition, Babe made his last major league appearance as a player in 1935 with the Boston Braves and finally as a coach with the Dodgers in 1938 yet the use of model numbers on the knob (R43) was not introduced into the Louisville Slugger system until 1943-45 (it took several years to catalog every model to that date). What you have is a 1950’s pro stock Ruth bat made well after he died and played and as such, value is relatively low, usually selling in the $300-500 range.

Q. I got your name off the Louisville Slugger museum website. Back in 1968 I pulled an old baseball bat from a pile of wood my grandmother was going to use for her wood burning stove. It was an old Louisville Slugger and the name on the bat didn’t ring any bells with the players I knew of. I used the bat a couple of times and then just put it away. To make along story short I got on the Internet and found out the ball player on the bat was inducted into the hall of fame in 1968. His name was Hazen Shirley Cuyler and played in the 1920’s and 30’s . Based on the seal the bat dates between 1916 to 1929 you can still read all of Cuyler’s name and the bat was bone rubbed. Any idea on what it’s worth?

A.You failed to give me some vital information such as model in the center brand. Is it a 125, 40, 125 HC, 40 HC, or even a junior model. I assume it is a signature model and the fact that it is stamped bone rubbed instead of powerized means it was made before 1931. Cuyler was a great ball player who was on the Pirates in both 1925 and 1927 as well as playing for years with the Chicago Cubs including 1929, 32 and 35. If you have a 125 model with no inch marks i.e. 35” , and it is in nice condition with use but no problems, you probably have a game model bat worth $4-5000. If it is a store model such as a 125 with inch marks on the knob, would sell in the $400 range with other models selling in the $2-300 range if nice.

Q.Dear Dave, I contacted you by email over a year ago about a souvenir bat with the name Jack Tising on it. I sent it to his surviving relative in Missouri and she wrote me to say it is now hanging in a family run museum in High Points. Thank you for your help in this matter.

A. This is a nice story. We have put items back with their original owners several times and I really enjoy such events.

Until next time ,

David Bushing

I get dozens of e-mails each month from collectors. I thought I would share some of those in a monthly column. In sifting through them, I have tried to highlight those that might have some value and or interest to someone other than the person who sent it in. If you have a question, please always feel free to drop me at line at dbushing1@aol.com.

Here we go:

Q: Six years ago we met in Pittsburgh and I sold you a Clemente bat. At the time I had a Ted Williams Bat, a Louisville Slugger. The estimate you gave me at the time was somewhere around $600.00. Please check your records and see what the price is today, It is a model “W183” Hillerich & Bradsby signature contract 125.

A: I remembered the Clemente but a good Williams gamer was worth around $6000 at that time, not $600 so I looked back into my notes and found your bat and the reason behind the low estimate. While the model W183 was definitely a model used by Williams, your bat measured 34” in length. This model bat is/was not found in any of Williams’s personal shipping records but it is a pro model in what we refer to as a team ordered index bat. These bats were made by Louisville using the popular players and models at use at the time by the player in reference, but then the team would order, say 75-150 of popular signature model bats of current players but in assorted lengths that could have been used by any member of the team. What this means is that it is possible that Williams could have used this bat but given the number of bats ordered by the team during that era, it is just as likely to have been used by someone else unless there was some player traits that pointed to its use by Williams such a painted number 9 on the knob. Without such a player trait, it is simply a pro model team ordered index bat and while it is worth a bit more than the price quoted six years ago, it probably hasn’t doubled since then.

Q: I own a Louisville Slugger bat, It has the oval center stamp which is from the 1964-1980 era according to the Louisville Slugger web site.
The players name on it is Jackie Robinson. It says Special on the barrel and on the
handle end it has the letters JRS. I am hoping the bat is from the 1964 era instead of
the 1970’s. So my question is do you know in which year the Jackie Robinson Special
was made?

A: Jackie Robinson bats were first listed for sale in the 1950 catalog, three years after his major league debut. As you probably know, you have store model or retail bat as the JRS stands for Jackie Robinson Special. The special was a bat made along the player’s specs but of smaller scale for use by school kids and I have never seen a special model that is longer than 34”. As you also noted, your bat has nothing stamped under the center brand which began in 1965 and it is a Hillerich & Bradsby stamped bat as they switched to the Louisville Slugger logo in 1980 and they continued to carry a Jackie Robinson model well into the 1980’s. If your bat has a model number after the Genuine on the barrel such as R43, then it is a late 1970’s. If it is just printed Genuine above the name, it is most likely pre 1976. A picture would help date it more precisely but I can tell you that his model bats were one of the most produced of any signature bat and given the production years, are far from scarce and as such, seldom sell for more than $100 even if gem mint although a signature full size gem mint 50’s bat would probably sell in the $100-200 range given that his gamers are approaching $100,000. and are out of reach for all but a very rare few. Yours is a post career (he retired after the 57 season, the last year in Brooklyn for the Dodgers) and the fact that it is not made to game specs, would probably not fetch more than $50 in used condition.

Q: Good evening, I happened to find your address through a goggle search.
I have been handed a 1953 Montreal Royals baseball in excellent condition, signed by the entire 52-53 roster. Is there a market for that type of memorabilia? If so, any approximate value?

A: The Montreal Royals were members of the International League from 1928-60 and for years, was a farm team to the Brooklyn Dodgers from which came both Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. The team roster for Montreal in both 1952 and 1953 (there will be at least one key player who was there one year and not the next but the value would be about the same) contained loads of future Brooklyn Dodgers including Tommy Lasorda, Rocky Bridges, Gino Cimoli, Don Thompson, Walt Moryn, Johnny Padres, Ed Roebuck , and Johnny Romano but none the caliber of Jackie or Campy. Regardless, it would be of interest to a Brooklyn or minor league collector and if gem mint with all the key players and at least 16-18 signatures and on an official International League ball, might sell in the $7-1000 range but would drop like a rock as condition goes down hill or if there are clubhouse signatures, staining, fading, non official ball, etc. A gem mint ball from this era is rare, hence the high price for a prime example but a tough sell if not pristine.

Q: Here’s the story: This bat supposedly originated with Hank Aaron. It found its way to Richmond back in the early 1970s (1971 or 1972-ish). The best guess is a player brought it back from spring training — if it turns out to be authentic. Anyway, one of the batboys ended up with it and has had it all these years. It came up in conversation and I’m just curious if it is indeed what he claims it to be. The bat is cracked and has “44” on the knob. There’s no evidence of pine tar on the handle. Here’s the question: Is it possible that this is a gamer or at least a game-issue bat? My reader checked everything he could and can’t find much on this model number. However your guide does indicate that Aaron used 229A Adirondack bats, but it doesn’t what years.

A: I looked at your photographs. You do not have the Tee-Pee model that was used from 1968-70 and your bat has the large blue handle ring which were color matched to the main color theme of the team, a practice that Adirondack had experimented with during the Tee-Pee era bats but with much smaller rings. In addition, there is no date stamped on the knob, a practice which began in 1980 so your bat is a model that would have been made from 1971-79. Aaron retired after the 1976 season so your bat is a game model bat from 1971-76 and the 44 in black marker on the knob is typical of Aaron game bats from that era as is the model 229A. I assume that the bat is 35” and if showing good game use with ball and lace marks, no finish chipping or problems, then the bat should sell in the $5000 range given it is a fairly late example but still quite collectible.

Q: I have a 1985 Denver Bronco Anniversary book with signatures of the Bronco players and coaches. Can you give me an idea what it might be worth. Signatures are from late 1984-1985.

A: The Broncos won the first-ever American Football League game over the Boston Patriots, 13-10, on September 9, 1960 as they were one of the inaugural AFL teams of 1960. The 1984-85 season was the teams 25th anniversary and they won the AFC Western Division title that year but lost to the Steelers in the Divisional game. This was also the second season for future Hall of Fame quaterback, John Elway. If the program is gem mint and has the entire starting line up including Elway, it would probably sell in the $3-400 range in auction.

Till next month, keep collecting.

Dave Bushing

I get dozens of e-mails each month from collectors. I thought I would share some of those in a monthly column. In sifting through them, I have tried to highlight those that might have some value and or interest to someone other than the person who sent it in. If you have a question, please always feel free to drop me at line at dbushing1@aol.com.

Here we go:

Q: Six years ago we met in Pittsburgh and I sold you a Clemente bat. At the time I had a Ted Williams Bat, a Louisville Slugger. The estimate you gave me at the time was somewhere around $600.00. Please check your records and see what the price is today, It is a model “W183” Hillerich & Bradsby signature contract 125.

A: I remembered the Clemente but a good Williams gamer was worth around $6000 at that time, not $600 so I looked back into my notes and found your bat and the reason behind the low estimate. While the model W183 was definitely a model used by Williams, your bat measured 34” in length. This model bat is/was not found in any of Williams’s personal shipping records but it is a pro model in what we refer to as a team ordered index bat. These bats were made by Louisville using the popular players and models at use at the time by the player in reference, but then the team would order, say 75-150 of popular signature model bats of current players but in assorted lengths that could have been used by any member of the team. What this means is that it is possible that Williams could have used this bat but given the number of bats ordered by the team during that era, it is just as likely to have been used by someone else unless there was some player traits that pointed to its use by Williams such a painted number 9 on the knob. Without such a player trait, it is simply a pro model team ordered index bat and while it is worth a bit more than the price quoted six years ago, it probably hasn’t doubled since then.

Q: I own a Louisville Slugger bat, It has the oval center stamp which is from the 1964-1980 era according to the Louisville Slugger web site.
The players name on it is Jackie Robinson. It says Special on the barrel and on the
handle end it has the letters JRS. I am hoping the bat is from the 1964 era instead of
the 1970’s. So my question is do you know in which year the Jackie Robinson Special
was made?

A: Jackie Robinson bats were first listed for sale in the 1950 catalog, three years after his major league debut. As you probably know, you have store model or retail bat as the JRS stands for Jackie Robinson Special. The special was a bat made along the player’s specs but of smaller scale for use by school kids and I have never seen a special model that is longer than 34”. As you also noted, your bat has nothing stamped under the center brand which began in 1965 and it is a Hillerich & Bradsby stamped bat as they switched to the Louisville Slugger logo in 1980 and they continued to carry a Jackie Robinson model well into the 1980’s. If your bat has a model number after the Genuine on the barrel such as R43, then it is a late 1970’s. If it is just printed Genuine above the name, it is most likely pre 1976. A picture would help date it more precisely but I can tell you that his model bats were one of the most produced of any signature bat and given the production years, are far from scarce and as such, seldom sell for more than $100 even if gem mint although a signature full size gem mint 50’s bat would probably sell in the $100-200 range given that his gamers are approaching $100,000. and are out of reach for all but a very rare few. Yours is a post career (he retired after the 57 season, the last year in Brooklyn for the Dodgers) and the fact that it is not made to game specs, would probably not fetch more than $50 in used condition.

Q: Good evening, I happened to find your address through a goggle search.
I have been handed a 1953 Montreal Royals baseball in excellent condition, signed by the entire 52-53 roster. Is there a market for that type of memorabilia? If so, any approximate value?

A: The Montreal Royals were members of the International League from 1928-60 and for years, was a farm team to the Brooklyn Dodgers from which came both Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. The team roster for Montreal in both 1952 and 1953 (there will be at least one key player who was there one year and not the next but the value would be about the same) contained loads of future Brooklyn Dodgers including Tommy Lasorda, Rocky Bridges, Gino Cimoli, Don Thompson, Walt Moryn, Johnny Padres, Ed Roebuck , and Johnny Romano but none the caliber of Jackie or Campy. Regardless, it would be of interest to a Brooklyn or minor league collector and if gem mint with all the key players and at least 16-18 signatures and on an official International League ball, might sell in the $7-1000 range but would drop like a rock as condition goes down hill or if there are clubhouse signatures, staining, fading, non official ball, etc. A gem mint ball from this era is rare, hence the high price for a prime example but a tough sell if not pristine.

Q: Here’s the story: This bat supposedly originated with Hank Aaron. It found its way to Richmond back in the early 1970s (1971 or 1972-ish). The best guess is a player brought it back from spring training — if it turns out to be authentic. Anyway, one of the batboys ended up with it and has had it all these years. It came up in conversation and I’m just curious if it is indeed what he claims it to be. The bat is cracked and has “44” on the knob. There’s no evidence of pine tar on the handle. Here’s the question: Is it possible that this is a gamer or at least a game-issue bat? My reader checked everything he could and can’t find much on this model number. However your guide does indicate that Aaron used 229A Adirondack bats, but it doesn’t what years.

A: I looked at your photographs. You do not have the Tee-Pee model that was used from 1968-70 and your bat has the large blue handle ring which were color matched to the main color theme of the team, a practice that Adirondack had experimented with during the Tee-Pee era bats but with much smaller rings. In addition, there is no date stamped on the knob, a practice which began in 1980 so your bat is a model that would have been made from 1971-79. Aaron retired after the 1976 season so your bat is a game model bat from 1971-76 and the 44 in black marker on the knob is typical of Aaron game bats from that era as is the model 229A. I assume that the bat is 35” and if showing good game use with ball and lace marks, no finish chipping or problems, then the bat should sell in the $5000 range given it is a fairly late example but still quite collectible.

Q: I have a 1985 Denver Bronco Anniversary book with signatures of the Bronco players and coaches. Can you give me an idea what it might be worth. Signatures are from late 1984-1985.

A: The Broncos won the first-ever American Football League game over the Boston Patriots, 13-10, on September 9, 1960 as they were one of the inaugural AFL teams of 1960. The 1984-85 season was the teams 25th anniversary and they won the AFC Western Division title that year but lost to the Steelers in the Divisional game. This was also the second season for future Hall of Fame quaterback, John Elway. If the program is gem mint and has the entire starting line up including Elway, it would probably sell in the $3-400 range in auction.

Till next month, keep collecting.

Dave Bushing