Roger Maris homers with Ty Cobb Bat

[b.heagy]

I just picked up a neat piece. "This Week Magazine" from May 20 1962. I would highly suggest picking up an example if you ever come across one. Roger Maris on the cover with "Roger Maris Homers With Ty Cobb's Bat". After the magical season of 1961 there was speculation as to why/how Roger could have hit 61 homers in 61. All sorts of speculation came about, right down to the bat he used. Maris agreed to a test. Louisville Slugger made exact replicas of 4 iconic bats. 1.) Pete Browning -46 oz 37" untapered monster (1882-1894) Louisville's first ballplaying customer. 2.) Babe Ruth 44oz 35 1/2 inches, 3.) Ty Cobb 42 oz 34 1/2 inches, and 4.) Frank "Home Run" Baker 47oz 34 inch untapered. A fifth bat Roger's own model ws included in the scientific experiment. Maris's bat was 33oz 35 inches with thin handled - tapered. The experiment was to see if the bat could be the difference in the homeruns hit. A total of 25 balls were to be used (5 per bat). Each hit was measured for distance. At the end of the experiment the total distance was measured for each ball hit per bat. First place - Ty Cobb bat total distance 1,621 feet (only home run hit), Second Place - Frank Baker bat total distance 1,549 feet, Third Place Pete Browning 1,541 feet, Fourth Place 1, 524 feet, and coming in last was Roger's own model with 1,523 total feet. Just a neat read if anyone comes across it. Neat photo's of each bat that was used. A nice read for bat collectors.

[jboosted92]

I just picked up a neat piece. "This Week Magazine" from May 20 1962. I would highly suggest picking up an example if you ever come across one. Roger Maris on the cover with "Roger Maris Homers With Ty Cobb's Bat". After the magical season of 1961 there was speculation as to why/how Roger could have hit 61 homers in 61. All sorts of speculation came about, right down to the bat he used. Maris agreed to a test. Louisville Slugger made exact replicas of 4 iconic bats. 1.) Pete Browning -46 oz 37" untapered monster (1882-1894) Louisville's first ballplaying customer. 2.) Babe Ruth 44oz 35 1/2 inches, 3.) Ty Cobb 42 oz 34 1/2 inches, and 4.) Frank "Home Run" Baker 47oz 34 inch untapered. A fifth bat Roger's own model ws included in the scientific experiment. Maris's bat was 33oz 35 inches with thin handled - tapered. The experiment was to see if the bat could be the difference in the homeruns hit. A total of 25 balls were to be used (5 per bat). Each hit was measured for distance. At the end of the experiment the total distance was measured for each ball hit per bat. First place - Ty Cobb bat total distance 1,621 feet (only home run hit), Second Place - Frank Baker bat total distance 1,549 feet, Third Place Pete Browning 1,541 feet, Fourth Place 1, 524 feet, and coming in last was Roger's own model with 1,523 total feet. Just a neat read if anyone comes across it. Neat photo's of each bat that was used. A nice read for bat collectors.


2 or 3 years ago, i believe REA auctions had those bats used in that test, go up for auction...check there site