Had a good chuckle tonight.....

[Vintagedeputy]

So I'm just sitting here, cruising ebay. I notice that a seller has a Lastings Milledge game used bat. He had numerous pics of his bat and "photo proof" of Milledge signing the bat during the Nats 2009 uniform unveiling.....

The funny part?

The bat Milledge is autographing in the photo isnt the same one that the man is selling with "photo proof".

How do I know this? The bat Milledge is shown signing in the pics is mine! I got it from Andrew Lang who attended the signing and got the bat signed.

Thanks for the photo proof!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Game-Used-Washington-Nationals-Lastings-Milledge-Bat_W0QQitemZ260339303048QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item260339303048&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[Vintagedeputy]

ok, so email the seller, and I say:

The bat shown being signed is not the same one that you are selling, is it? Can you tell me where you obtained the bat from?

Their response?

The bat is exactly the same one that was signed because I was there... I purchased it from someone who has an inside connection with the nationals and has sold to many in the area.

I find it hard to believe that its the same bat, since I'm holding that bat right now. :)

I dont doubt that they got their bat signed there, but the photo proof is not the same bat.

[frikativ54]

I'd like to see scans of your bat. That would verify things more for both me and the seller.

[Vintagedeputy]

Well, here's my bat:

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/1975/milledge2qw1.png

The angle of the pic is different of course but the white dot above the ballmark can be clearly seen in this photo:

http://i2.ebayimg.com/02/i/001/27/5e/7233_1.JPG

When I hold my bat like this one is being held, there's no doubt that its the same bat. All the marks match up. There's also a pine tar stain in the M just to the left of Bone Rubbed which can be seen.

I dont doubt that the seller had his bat auto'd at the same time, its just not the same bat in the pics as he stated. That can be misleading to a buyer. If you look at the bat for sale, you'll see no white cleat mark. Anyway, I appreciate having a pic of Milledge signing my bat.

[mfsquirrelmaster]

It seems kind of funny that someone would go to the signing and take a pic of Milledge with someone else's bat. Is it possible that the ebay seller also got his bat and the photo from Andrew Lang??

[allstarsplus]

Jim - Great observations.

I brought 4 bats with me. 2 Milledge and 2 Elijah Dukes.

A guy I know bought the other Milledge bat there. I sold him a Milledge WITHOUT a MLB #'d hologram which is the big difference as yours has a MLB #'d hologram and the other bat did not.

I don't know if he resold the bat but that looks like the bat from the pictures. I also did email him photos as we stood together getting them signed, but you are right as his bat wasn't photo'd as those pics are of your bat (lol). The front of the barrell of his bat didn't have ball marks.

Let's hope he sells it for $259!

[b.heagy]

I don't think it's the same bat. Signatures are close to same area but not spot on.

[BaseballGM]

if you give the benefit of the doubt to the seller, he/she should have made it more clear that the bat being offered for sale was not the one in the photo. Rather, the pic only refers to the event that took place - the jersey unveiling that Lastings attended.

(Debatable whether he is a "upcoming" or up and coming future star of the Nats) :p

[b.heagy]

Sorry Jim, not enough coffee yet. That does look like your bat in the pic.

[allstarsplus]

if you give the benefit of the doubt to the seller, he/she should have made it more clear that the bat being offered for sale was not the one in the photo. Rather, the pic only refers to the event that took place - the jersey unveiling that Lastings attended.

(Debatable whether he is a "upcoming" or up and coming future star of the Nats) :p

I don't think there was anything dishonest here as he probably didn't analyze the photos. I just checked other photos I took and emailed them to the guy. He emailed me back that it is the bat I sold him and he apologized for having to sell it as he needed the money. He is a big Nats collector.

[allstarsplus]

Here's a picture with him and the bat on eBay!

17030

[BaseballGM]

I don't think there was anything dishonest here as he probably didn't analyze the photos. I just checked other photos I took and emailed them to the guy. He emailed me back that it is the bat I sold him and he apologized for having to sell it as he needed the money. He is a big Nats collector.

Andrew- My post didn't say or imply that there was anything dishonest. The point was that the seller could have made the ad clearer with a rewrite.

[Vintagedeputy]

Like I said, I have no doubt that Milledge signed HIS bat at the jersey unveiling. I'm also not disputing whether or not the bat is GU.

My question to him was because I noticed that he is selling a game used bat and showed photos to prove the legitmacy of the auto on it. The problem was that the photos of the bat being autographed are of a bat that I own. That makes me suspicious. There was a potential when I inquired of him, that he could have had stolen scans of someone else's bat and was trying to pull something funny. Haven't we all seen that before? I already knew that the photos of the bat being auto'd were not the same.

Having personal knowledge that Andrew was at the unveiling and was having Milledge bats signed made me inquisitive. I was looking out for him, hoping that someone wasnt running a scam auction based on seeing Andrew there.

Anyway, the real issue is, in my mind that someone can make a mistake when listing the item in the auction. Mistakes happen..... BUT when you are asked the question and you outright lie and say that you have a bat that is sitting next to me, well, that's where I have a problem.

[BaseballGM]

Ok, I understand what you are saying. By the way, happy new year to you Jim and Andrew. Hope to see you at the Park this year.

[Vintagedeputy]

Ok, I understand what you are saying. By the way, happy new year to you Jim and Andrew. Hope to see you at the Park this year.

and a very Happy New Year to you as well!

[Vintagedeputy]

Just wanted to add as well that another reason I was suspicious was his feedback. There is a claim from a past buyer that they bought fake cleates. I dont know the seller but the totality of what I saw made me suspicious....

[allstarsplus]

Andrew- My post didn't say or imply that there was anything dishonest. The point was that the seller could have made the ad clearer with a rewrite.

Agreed and I felt you wrote it that way.

[allstarsplus]

Like I said, I have no doubt that Milledge signed HIS bat at the jersey unveiling. I'm also not disputing whether or not the bat is GU.

My question to him was because I noticed that he is selling a game used bat and showed photos to prove the legitmacy of the auto on it. The problem was that the photos of the bat being autographed are of a bat that I own. That makes me suspicious. There was a potential when I inquired of him, that he could have had stolen scans of someone else's bat and was trying to pull something funny. Haven't we all seen that before? I already knew that the photos of the bat being auto'd were not the same.

Having personal knowledge that Andrew was at the unveiling and was having Milledge bats signed made me inquisitive. I was looking out for him, hoping that someone wasnt running a scam auction based on seeing Andrew there.

Anyway, the real issue is, in my mind that someone can make a mistake when listing the item in the auction. Mistakes happen..... BUT when you are asked the question and you outright lie and say that you have a bat that is sitting next to me, well, that's where I have a problem.

Jim - Good talking to you today. Just arrived at The Homestead and NOT COLD ENOUGH for snow today, but it is great. They said I am staying in the Reynolds Suite (LOL).

As we discussed, I spoke to the seller and because he has bids couldn't make revisions to his description only add-on to it but he said he didn't want to confuse anything.

[Vintagedeputy]

Jim - Good talking to you today. Just arrived at The Homestead and NOT COLD ENOUGH for snow today, but it is great. They said I am staying in the Reynolds Suite (LOL).

As we discussed, I spoke to the seller and because he has bids couldn't make revisions to his description only add-on to it but he said he didn't want to confuse anything.


Well now, I wasnt aware that they named a suite after me! I only stayed there once!

Make sure you get to the shooting range, and eat an Sam Sneads!

Jim