Chris Chambliss ROY Game used bat Mike Specht

[Krausmann]

I picked up this Chris Chambliss gamer. It's from the 1969 - 72 labeling period. M117 35" 34 oz. His #14 on the knob. I looked up his records and his rookie year was 1971 so it has to be 1971 or 1972. I then contacted Mike Specht to have him do a cert for me. Check out what he found.

"This is a premium Chris Chambliss bat as it was manufactured and used specifically in 1971, the year that Chambliss debuted with the Cleveland Indians and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award to begin his 17-year Major League career. This is certainly one of the earliest, if not THE earliest, Chambliss game used bat known to exist."

It seems Chambliss ordered these bats in May and June of 1971 and never again in this weight, model, length and finish. Mike does it again!! He takes his information and turns my so-so bat into a Premium collectible - Tom Krausmann krausmannt@aol.com

[MSpecht]

Thanks for the kind words, Tom... It is always satisfying to be able to pinpoint a bat to a specific year in a player's career, especially if it is a very significant or landmark season, as this one turned out to be. The key to this bat was the length---even though he ordered a few M117 bats at Wichita in 1970, he only ordered 35-inch M117 bats (with this finish) in May and June of 1971 during this label period. Subsequent orders of 35 inch M117 bats had a Walker finish, which distinguished those orders from this bat.
Great bat !!!

Mike jackitout7@aol.com