Piazza/Clemens bat: Your thoughts?

[sox83cubs84]

Heritage has the bat barrel that Roger Clemens threw at Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series in their upcoming auction. Opening at $1K, it's already up to $4K. Is this something you'd want or not want, and why? Personally, a bat barrel, with the rest of the bat broken off, doesn't do anything for me, but that may just be me.

Dave Miedema

[onlyalbert]

Heritage has the bat barrel that Roger Clemens threw at Mike Piazza during the 2000 World Series in their upcoming auction. Opening at $1K, it's already up to $4K. Is this something you'd want or not want, and why? Personally, a bat barrel, with the rest of the bat broken off, doesn't do anything for me, but that may just be me.

Dave Miedema

I think the value here is in the backstory and controversy. I wouldn't be surprised to see it hit 15-20k.

[Roady]

That is the first time I said he must be on something.
I would really like to know why he wasn't thrown out of the game and suspended from baseball for throwing a bat barrel at another player.
Could you imagine if a batter threw his bat at a pitcher?

[gorilla777]

It might be one of the better examples of the steroid era. Only a player out of his mind would react like that and then claim he just thought it was the ball? :)

[xpress34]

It might be one of the better examples of the steroid era. Only a player out of his mind would react like that and then claim he just thought it was the ball? :)

Ben -

Even that comment from Clemens made no sense - then or now. Hr had played the game since he was a kid - since when do you throw the ball 'AT' a player running down the baseline?

- Smitty

[Dach0sen0ne]

Come on, Clemens thought it was the ball. hahaha

[metsbats]

As the new owner of the Kyle's Kurt Abbott bat barrel from that WS I would love to have the Piazza barrel to match:D

However for the price that it's estimated to go for (> 10K) it makes no sense to sink that amount of money in a single item when one can get several older quality items for same $$.

[Enyouartist]

I think this piece is Hall of Fame worthy. The most infamous bat barrel ever would unequivocally trump a full uncracked gamer for me. I would love to own that barrel. The epitome of steroid rage! Museum worthy for sure IMO.

[gorilla777]

Ben -

Even that comment from Clemens made no sense - then or now. Hr had played the game since he was a kid - since when do you throw the ball 'AT' a player running down the baseline?

- Smitty

Dodgeball flashback?

[metsbats]

You can see the same anger and intensity in the faces!

[sox83cubs84]

That is the first time I said he must be on something.
I would really like to know why he wasn't thrown out of the game and suspended from baseball for throwing a bat barrel at another player.
Could you imagine if a batter threw his bat at a pitcher?

It did happen at least once. If I recall correctly, it was early in the 1972 ALCS, Tigers/A's, when Bert Campaneris threw his bat at Tiger reliever Lerrin LaGrow after LaGrow hit him with a pitch. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, I guy I always felt was weak, did suspend Campaneris for 3 games, but, rather than cause Campy to miss ALCS and WS games, Kuhn delayed the suspension until the opening of the 1973 season.

Dave Miedema

[Roady]

So is the thumb down for me or for Clemens or for the incident? :confused:

[Roady]

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[Roady]

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[allstarsplus]

I remember this well and early reports were that both pieces of the bat were given to a reporter from ESPN who was a collector.

The auction house says the barrel of the bat was consigned by Jeff Mangold, who was the Yankees' strength and conditioning coach from 1984-88 and 1998-2006. Mangold took the bat piece after the game that night.


This says the barrel came from the equipment manager which probably means nothing except the original story is wrong and where's the handle?

I can't find the original story where I thought the reporter had it, but will share my story where I put together a 2000 WS display piece from the subway series and a broken game used Piazza bat from the 2000 season with the photo of Clemens throwing the barrel towards Piazza would be the central piece of the display.

I took the bat to Clemens to get him to sign it at a Tri-Star show and his handler didn't want him to sign it at first but Clemens then said and I will paraphrase, "No I want to sign this" and laughed about it.

I then needed Piazza to sign it. A good friend of mine in Atlanta was friends with a Braves player who was buddies with Piazza and he would get it signed for me. Weeks later the bat was returned to me unsigned by Piazza and the message I got was that Piazza refused to sign it with Clemens signature on it. I was concerned for a while there that I wouldn't get the bat back. There you go.

[DeacDoug]

Although I personally would have no interest in the item, I can understand why a Yankee fan or World Series buff would pay big money for the remnants. Two stars -- both arguably on PEDs -- clash in subway WS! A sign of the times.

[metsbats]

I remember this well and early reports were that both pieces of the bat were given to a reporter from ESPN who was a collector.

The auction house says the barrel of the bat was consigned by Jeff Mangold, who was the Yankees' strength and conditioning coach from 1984-88 and 1998-2006. Mangold took the bat piece after the game that night.


This says the barrel came from the equipment manager which probably means nothing except the original story is wrong and where's the handle?

I can't find the original story where I thought the reporter had it, but will share my story where I put together a 2000 WS display piece from the subway series and a broken game used Piazza bat from the 2000 season with the photo of Clemens throwing the barrel towards Piazza would be the central piece of the display.

I took the bat to Clemens to get him to sign it at a Tri-Star show and his handler didn't want him to sign it at first but Clemens then said and I will paraphrase, "No I want to sign this" and laughed about it.

I then needed Piazza to sign it. A good friend of mine in Atlanta was friends with a Braves player who was buddies with Piazza and he would get it signed for me. Weeks later the bat was returned to me unsigned by Piazza and the message I got was that Piazza refused to sign it with Clemens signature on it. I was concerned for a while there that I wouldn't get the bat back. There you go.


Keith Olbermann claims to have the handle.

http://keitholbermann.mlblogs.com/2010/10/23/ten-years-after/

[Nnunnari]

I think it is an amazing piece of baseball history. World Series, two New York teams, two HOF guys and everybody remembers it. I think anything under $15k is a good buy. It is great conversation piece and there are many creative ways to display the item.

[cfern023]

Olberman at one point had the handle, that was once destined for the trash can.

The Barrel is the one for auction, and there is a third piece a fan got but I doubt anyone knows where it is or if the original owner of the third piece knows where he even put it.

[sox83cubs84]

So is the thumb down for me or for Clemens or for the incident? :confused:

The incident...no hard feelings towards you, Roady.

Dave M.

[Roady]

The incident...no hard feelings towards you, Roady.

Dave M.

Thanks! :)

[allstarsplus]

Olberman at one point had the handle, that was once destined for the trash can.

The Barrel is the one for auction, and there is a third piece a fan got but I doubt anyone knows where it is or if the original owner of the third piece knows where he even put it.

Thanks for point out it was Olbermann. At first I thought it was him but couldn't find a reference to it. I believe he was with ESPN at the time but I was told he had the barrel and the handle so I guess that was never true.

Its always interesting how these pieces resurface. The barrel has the much greater value of the 2 pieces IMHO.

[Nnunnari]

The barrel sold for $47,800.

[onlyalbert]

The barrel sold for $47,800.

Wow......

[dtmd59]

Wow......

Must have been Clemens who intends to re-throw it at Piazza at some point.

[Roady]

The barrel sold for $47,800.

That is just crazy.