Variation: A divergence in structural or functional characteristics. This article is about both variations and the research and analytic methods employed to explore and explain them. The topic at hand is once again Hillerich and Bradsby professional model bats from the 1976. While I have addressed this in some form or fashion on at least 3-4 other occasions, I have not looked at the topic in any real depth and never truly felt compelled to until now. I would like to thank Mike Specht for his recent article on this subject as that was a primary forcing function.
The topic of debate centers around the presence of the word “Powerized” on the barrel branding of bats from 1976. The question posed is does this inclusion of “Powerized” constitute a legitimate variation to what we should expect to see in a professional model bat for that year? Like all things in this hobby, that is a question you will have to answer for yourself.
Before going into this any further, we have to begin by asking and answering some fundamental questions that have a direct impact on how the topic should be researched. As I have written about before, this comes in the form of facts and assumptions and their relationship to each other. The more sensitive your assumptions, the more sensitive your findings are to error. This is the framework I considered when looking at this topic in detail. Like any effort, relevant statements of fact are the essential starting point.
Fact: 1976 marked the Bicentennial of the founding of the United States. This was a widely recognized and celebrated event.
Fact: Hillerich & Bradsby has changed the manner in which they brand their product over the years and these brandings are subject to variation for any number of reasons (For a more detailed discussion on this, please see “A Look at Research Methods” by MEARS on MEARS On-Line)
Fact: The branding implements for the centerbrand, “Powerized”, Liberty Bell, and barrel brands for model number and player signature are all independent branding devices.
Fact: To commemorate America’s Bicentennial, Hillerich and Bradsby included a Liberty Bell logo on many of its products produced during 1976.
Fact: Photographic evidence will confirm the presence of the word “Powerized” on Hillerich & Bradsby bats in the player’s hands before, during and after 1976.
Fact: At some point in time, Hillerich and Bradsby began stamping model numbers on bats. The location of this branding has changed over time.
Fact: As a function of the number of surviving examples and period images, the vast majority of Hillerich and Bradsby professional model bats appear to feature:
– No “Powerized” on the barrel.
– The Presence of the Liberty bell logo.
– A model number moved from the knob to the barrel.
Fact: Hillerich and Bradsby did produce bats with the Liberty Bell logo, with and without the word “Powerized” for strictly commercial or commemorative purposes.
Fact: Authentic professional model bats may or may not show use or player characteristics.
Fact: Authentic professional model bats may or may not show contrived use or player characteristics.
Fact: The overwhelming majority of photos of players with bats do not show the complete barrel area in sufficient detail to determine the complete nature of the branding or subsequent variations.
While all of this may seem like a blinding flash of the obvious, it does objectively get us to what I think is a common and acceptable point of departure necessary to consider variations and their nature.
In looking at this subject, I considered these data points:
-Bats previously evaluated by MEARS
-Bats previously offered in the hobby by way of auction catalogs
-Period images from 1976 in both print and on-line references
-Period publications such as team issuances, Baseball Digest, the Sporting News etc..
This survey produced some nine (IX) Types of branding variations for consideration.
These variations are limited to those actually involving what is or is not branded on the bat. As you will see in looking at the images provided, there are also variations that are significant and relevant based on the location of where objects are branded on the bat. In short, these IX Types are:
Type I: No Powerized, Liberty Bell, Model # with dash
Type II: No Powerized, Liberty Bell, Model # without dash
Type III: Powerized, Liberty Bell, Model # with dash
Type IV: Powerized, Liberty Bell, Model # without dash
Type V: Powerized, NO Liberty Bell, Model # without dash
Type VI: No Powerized, No Liberty Bell Logo, No Model Number
>b>Type VII: No Powerized, Liberty Bell Logo, No Model # and ALL STAR GAME stampings
Type VIII: No Powerized, Liberty Bell Logo, No Model # and WORLD SERIES stampings
*Type IX: Powerized, Liberty Bell, No model number, Foil Stamped (Commercial/Commemorative offering). I did not include Commercial/Commemorative offerings for the World Series or All Star Games featuring the various players and coaches as I don’t think anyone would have reason to believe they were used by the players. I did include Type XI since when they were offered, they did include players who active in 1976.
You could make the case for at least two more types if you also consider the bats manufactured for the All Star Game and the World Series. That would bring the count to some eleven (11) types.
Mike Specht did the hobby a great service by identifying a number of bats offered in the hobby that featured Type III and Type IV branding. The most important aspect is that these bats did not appear to have been used or prepared for player use.
Bats referenced by Mike Specht is his article as being offered by Lelands:
May 2002
-J. Bench, lot 1825, $1125, “game bat” with “blue bat rack marks” that looks more like one paint scrape.
-M. Schmidt, lot 1830, $1815, “game bat”
-T. Munson, lot 1831, $2062, “game bat” “manufactured in 1976”
-G. Nettles, lot 1840, $397, “game used bat” with “light to no use”
-H. Aaron, lot 1863, $2577, “game bat” “unused”
-B. Williams, lot 1871, $635, “game bat” “unused”
-T. Perez, lot 1872, $768, “custom made for the first baseman” “never used”
-J. Morgan, lot 1874, $929, “championship season bat from this member of the BRM”
December 2002
-C.Yastrzemski, lot 1301, $846, “game bat” “light if any game use”
-J,Morgan, lot 1310, $698, “straight out of the big red machine” (not the same as earlier May 2002 bat)
-B. Robinson, lot 1313, $1,239, “game bat was made for the all star third baseman” and was “used by the third baseman”
-J. Bench, lot 1315, $1,127, “light if any game use” (not the same as earlier bat).
-G. Foster, lot 1316, $437, “nice use” (picture does not show any obvious use)
However, Mike did not mention that Leland’s also offered as lot # 1857 in May 2002, a Carl Yastzremski W215 without the “Powerized” that was also described as being unused. Both of these offered Yastzresmki bats appear by model and at least length to conform to what was ordered by Yaz in 1976. This seems to indicate that lack of use is not something limited to these star caliber players with the Powerized version. This is an important omission since much of what Mike proffered was that the lack of use, offering in the same auction venue, and that all the bats included the word “Powerized” led him offer certain observations. Specifically:
“Given the number of bats consigned in those auctions, and the uniform lack of game used characteristics evidenced on any of these bats, it is a virtual certainty that the bats in the two auctions were sourced by the same consignor.”
I have commented on this to Mike, and while it may or may not be a valid observation, it has no bearing on the issue of labeling variations. The ownership, condition, and grouping of the bats at best can only serve to help explain possibly how they were obtained and came into the hobby. If the premise is that these bats may have been produced for the players, but actually not prepared for their use, then you also have to accept as a corollary that other bats could have been made for other players not yet identified.
The legitimate manufacturer of these bats does not hinge of the presence or lack of the presence of the word “Powerized” since we know as a fact that Hillerich and Bradsby did produce bats with the Liberty Bell logo, with and without the word “Powerized” for strictly commercial or commemorative purposes. Additionally, we know for a fact that photographic evidence will confirm the presence of the word “Powerized” on Hillerich & Bradsby bats in the player’s hands before, during and after 1976.
Mike went on to conclude:
“So what can we conclude from all of this information? Well, how about this? No bat bearing the Powerized variation in addition to the Bicentennial logo shows evidence of anything other than light, or very light game use, if that.. Not one of these bats (1) is cracked, (2) bears a knob number, (3) has any pine tar, (4) shows any significant use (indeed the “light use” pictured on several of these bats looks more like the result of handling than actual game use), (5) shows any individual player use characteristics, or (6) is autographed. This last point may seem trivial, but if these unused bats were given to the players or even delivered to teams and “walking out of clubhouses,” you would expect that one or more would be autographed, even if personalized. So, here you have 16 different bats, most that entered the hobby together, that would have come from at least 7 different Major League clubhouses, some AL and some NL, all bearing virtually the same lack of use or player characteristics. Further, every bat seems to have the same glossy finish which appears to be beyond the ‘regular, or natural’ finish and does not account for individual players preferences of the period”.
The issue I have with this is that it can lead a reader/collector to conclude that bats with the combination of Powerized and Liberty Bell are not legitimate variations. In my mind this is a dangerous and far reaching assumption. Please know this is not an assumption I directly attribute to Mike Specht making or offering.
I found nothing in my survey that suggests this. Rather quite the opposite in that the Cincinnati Reds bats offered via the 580 Gift Shop do not appear to have been manufactured with the word “Powerized.” To date, the only “retail, commemorative, or promotional” offerings I have found for bats for 1976 do not include the type of bats in question.
I am sure by now you have already looked through the images provided with this article. If you haven’t, please allow me to offer some commentary.
Rose, Morgan, Bench: This is probably the 4th or 5th time I have shown this image. Talk about a variation. The Bench bat is missing what is said to be the single defining branding characteristic of the year. For what it’s worth, Bench’s personal production information makes no mention or inference that the Liberty Bell logo should be omitted. Photo is most likely from the 29th or the 30th of May 1976. This is the only period of time you find the Reds, playing the Dodgers, at Riverfront Stadium, during a day game.
Ernie Banks Bat: I would have to agree with the auction description, “there can’t be too many of these around.” Yet, whether we like it or note, we are forced to contend with it and recognize it for what it is, a branding variation.
Big Red Machine Bats: This highlights something we will address later on with respect to the branding process and why it is one subject to produce variations. The point of the bats being shown is that branding variations include how the barrel was branded as well.
Schmidt & Munson: This barrel branding variation of either including a “Dash” or not with respect to the model number is something that can be found with bats that feature the word “Powerized” or not.
Roy White: White’s bats can be found with both Type II and Type III branding. The one with the Type II branding was found by MEARS to be in line with his personal production information.
Carl Yastrzemski: Two bats of Yaz, same model number, same length, and same lack of use. The length and model appear in line with what Yastrzemski ordered in 1976. One with and one without “Powerized.”
Carew & Yastrzemski: Notice the placement of the Liberty Bell logo on the two Carew bats. I found this interesting in that the space appears large enough to accommodate the “Powerized” branding, yet it is not present. This placement is not however counted in the Types of variations above, but it is a variation of process none the less.
Griffey, Brock, & Carew: Variation in alignment as a function of process and materials used in the branding process. This alignment is not however counted in the Types of variations above, but it is a variation of process none the less.
Pete Rose: An example of one of the commemorative 580 Gift Shop bats. Note the word “Powerized” is not branded to this bat.
Pete Rose: 1976 World Series footage. Bats with Liberty Bell and no Powerized.
Yankee Bats: 1976 World Series footage. Powerized can be found on bats.
Yankee Bats: 1976 World Series footage. Powerized can be found on bats
Bench Bats: As you can see the Bench B278 is not a 580 Gift Shop bat nor is one that was available as part of the Bicentennial Commemorative Bat Collection. The source of this was the Cincinnati Reds version of the 1976 NLCS program. No such add was found in the Phillies 1976 NCLS program or the 1976 New York Yankees ALCS program.
Ruth Bat: Issued as part of the Bicentennial Commemorative Bat Collection. Gold Foil stamping. Source of the add is the December 1976 Baseball Digest. In looking through various issues of the Sporting News from 1976 from January through December, I found no such advertisement for these bats or any others that would have to be included in this sample.
World Series and All Star Game Commemorative Bats: Offered to cover the waterfront as much as possible about what was available in 1976.
Now that we have a spent a great deal of time discussing and documenting variations, let’s turn our attention to a related issue. That being why are we likely to see variations. These points are once again grounded back to an earlier statement of fact:
Fact: The branding implements for the centerbrand, “Powerized”, Liberty Bell, and barrel brands for model number and player signature are all independent branding devices.
For us, the “so what” is that variations can occur when these independent branding devices are used in some sort of combination with each other. As a function of how the process was intended to work, variations are actually rather likely. The question becomes one of what are “acceptable variations.” Before getting to far into this, think of all of this from the manufacturer’s perspective. Do any of the variations I have shown or discussed actually affect the aesthetics or functionality of the product in question? I would suggest they do not, and as such, would have been of very little concern to the manufacturer at the time.
In my mind, the facets of process, aesthetics, and functionality are critical with respect to evaluating variations. For me, if what I am seeing or observing makes sense within the context of all of these things, then I am inclined to consider it an acceptable variation as long as it fits some sort of logical progression of facts or logic trail:
Fact: To commemorate America’s Bicentennial, Hillerich and Bradsby included a Liberty Bell logo on many of its products produced during 1976.
Fact: Photographic evidence will confirm the presence of the word “Powerized” on Hillerich & Bradsby bats in the player’s hands before, during and after 1976.
Fact: The branding implements for the centerbrand, “Powerized”, Liberty Bell, and barrel brands for model number and player signature are all independent branding devices.
Fact: The combinations of Powerized and Liberty Bell logo do not affect the aesthetics or functionality of professional model bats manufactured in 1976.
Fact: The Hillerich and Bradsby branding process is one that is likely to produce variations as a function of the utilization of multiple independent branding devices.
Fact: A branding that includes the use both the word “Powerized” and the Liberty Bell logo would be nothing more than a combination of characteristics we know to have been already branded on professional model bats in 1976.
In my mind, a bat featuring the word “Powerized” and the Liberty Bell Logo would constitute an acceptable variation based on the facts in question and against the backdrop of process, aesthetics and functionality. A bat featuring the word “Powerized” and the Liberty Bell Logo is nothing more than a combination of characteristics we already know to be in play as a function of both process and examples we have already seen. All of this will become a mute point if photographic evidence is found, but then again we are forced to contend with what we know about the amount of specific and relevant information that is observable in period photographs.
Would I be a buyer for any of the bats that Mike brought to our attention or others branded like them? First I would not make my purchase decision based on the stamping alone even though I consider it at acceptable variation. Before purchasing any bat, I would also want to know other things that include:
Model # and dimensions
Use and player characteristics
Wood quality
Source/ history
For me source/history becomes important, because we know contrived use is always a possibility. I have seen much the same thing with jerseys over time as well. You will see a great vintage flannel with a patch removed, only to find it offered years later as being “all original” but now the patch is now present.
So what then are the key “take-aways” after all of this? I would suggest they are:
-Variations do exist. Develop some sort of objective way to assess their likelihood within the context of the environment the product was produced in.
-Adopt a multi-disciplined approach to your research and problem solving.
-Understand the necessary and essential relationship between facts and assumptions and the impact they have on the conclusions you draw.
-Don’t base your purchase decisions on a narrow and restricted or incomplete data set.
And most importantly, as always…enjoy what you collect and collect what you enjoy.
MEARS Auth, LLC
For questions or comments on this article, please feel free to drop me a line at DaveGrob1@aol.com