Ozzie Smith bat on e-Bay

[Birdbats]

There's an alleged Ozzie Smith bat that showed up on eBay Wednesday evening. I e-mailed the seller to explain the problems with the bat, but it's been 48 hours and I've had no response -- and the bat is still listed. So, I'm posting a warning to the community.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ozzie-Smith-game-used-bat-St-Louis-Cardinals-HOF_W0QQitemZ8737908037QQcategoryZ60596QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here are the problems with the 1986-89 bat on eBay:

• It's a non-contract model (block letter SMITH); Ozzie had a contract long before 1986.
• It's a C300 model; Ozzie never ordered a hickory (brown) C300, and his last order of C300 bats was on 3/23/84 (Walker finish). The C300 bats he received before that last order were all flame finished.

The tape job and the "Wiz" on the knob also are unusual, but not entirely out of the question.

This almost certainly is a bat made for and used by some other Smith, but with a doctored knob to make it appear to be Ozzie's bat.

Jeff

http://www.birdbats.com

[Rboitano]

Re: Ozzie Smith bat on e-Bay

I agree 100 percent. The same seller also sold another bat that was block letter SMITH Blonde Louisville on ebay a few weeks earlier. I cannot even imagine how many players by the last name of Smith have played in the Majors.

[Calrima]

Re: Ozzie Smith bat on e-Bay

Friends,

I too agree that the bat is very questionable. Like our expert from Birdbats, I got scared off wit the SMITH not being in script. Keep up the good work, as it saves us al a mistake.

Den

[Birdbats]

Re: Ozzie Smith bat on e-Bay

Just a couple quick notes of clarification. I did find one order of hickory (brown) C300 bats on Ozzie's old hand-written bat order record; he received 12 of them on 4/20/81 (predating the eBay bat by at least five years).

Also, on Ozzie's original H&B bat order card, it notes at the top, New auto 11-3-77 "OZZIE". Ozzie's first order from H&B was on 11/3/77, so he's had a signature model from the very beginning.

Jeff

http://www.birdbats.com

[whirl]

Re: Ozzie Smith bat on e-Bay

Thanks for your time and efforts, Jeff.