Meaning of red stripe on a Rawlings bat? Need quick answer!

[gatorcollector]

I'm considering this Tim Olson bat on Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=150341194578

I found pictures of Olson using a Rawlings, but the pics I found show a black stripe. The one on Ebay has a red stripe. Is there any significance to the red stripe?

[ndevlin]

I would say this is a Diamondbacks bat since its red. If it were purple, that would probably be his Rockies days.

Make sense?

[gatorcollector]

So the stripes on Rawlings bats vary by team?

[ndevlin]

Yeah, they try to match up the color of stripe to the team colors. If you have enough time, you should ask the seller what the stampings are on the knob. That will also tell you the year, which would also help out as well.

[ndevlin]

Here's a bat from 1982, which was his playing days with the Phillies...a red stripe.

http://image72.webshots.com/172/2/51/95/2441251950087102894VtmYPW_ph.jpg

[ndevlin]

Sorry....

http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2441251950087102894VtmYPW

[xpress34]

Nate -

Unfortunately that is not completely true.

While working for Rawlings I asked about the 'Pro Stripe' and the significance of the Color.

Per higher ups with Rawlings at the time, I was told they do 'try' to send Team Color Pro Rings, but it is NOT an absolute.

When they are making bat batches (cases of 6 each) for a player - if they are under a time constraint - the bats get whatever color is in the 'ring painter' so they can get the bats to finishing and get them out.

While Walker was here with the Rockies, I have seen various Rawlings of his with Purple, Black, Blue and even Red Pro Rings. Larry was notorious for using EVERY companies bats in his career - Sam, Rawlings, LVS, etc...

I just wanted to mention this because if you find a player bat with the correct team name, but the ring doesn't match colors, that does NOT automatcally eliminate it from being authentic.

- Chris

[ndevlin]

Yep, absolutely. Thats why I said they try to.

[gatorcollector]

I'm not a big baseball guy, but I don't think red is in the D-Backs color scheme is it? Maybe this would be an example of using whatever color is in the ring painter.

Also. do they do the color stripes for minor league bats?

[godwulf]

This Tim Olson bat is from 2005 (I asked the Seller, and he just responded).

Olson was released from the DBacks on November 23, 2004, and signed by the Rockies a little less than a month later...so this is clearly a Rockies bat.

And no, the DBacks' colors didn't include red until 2007.

I've been looking around at some of my Diamondbacks Rawlings gamers, and most don't have any ring, and those that do, whether they're from '98 or 2006, have a black one.