Joe Sewell's bat specs

[brianborsch]

Hello,

Does anyone know what Joe Sewell's bat specs were? I bought a Joe Sewell side written bat from Leftfield Collectibles and want to match up the length and weight and see how it falls.

I know Leftfield is reputable, and you can't find other Sewell bats anywhere. Let me know.

Brian B

[slidekellyslide]

35" and 36-38 oz. The only comments on Sewell bats in the reference book are "very few exist".

Hope this helps.

[brianborsch]

Thank you so much. It certainly does. Once I get the bat I will compare its length and weight. It should be the same since it is a side written model that the bat maker would follow to make Sewell's bats.

[MSpecht]

Hi Brian--

Here is some additional info on Joe Sewell bats, as documented in his H & B factory records--

From 11/1/20 through 5/6/22, Sewell's documented orders were for Doc Gessler model bats, generally with Kork grips. No mention is made of length, and I do not have diagrams of Gessler's bats as reference. The weights, during that period, ranged between 38 - 40 ounces.

Thriough the rmainder of 1922, orders were for the same model bat (with Sewell on end) with weight range between 36 - 40 ounces.

On 4/25/23 he sent in a Kork bat with no length specified in the records, with a weight of 38 ounces. Thereafter, his 4-25-23 model was ordered through mid-1926, both with and without Kork grip and either 37 or 38 ounces.

Between 5/18/26 and 4/11/32 there are seventeen documented orders for Sewell of "Old Ty Cobb bats"... an index diagram exidts of that bat which establishes its length at 34.5 inches. No deviation from that length appears during that time frame. Weights ranged between 36 - 40 ounces, with most being 37 ounces.

In 1935 several orders of fungo bats were documented, with apparent dimensions of 29 inches / 20 - 22 ounces.

On 3/1/77, when Sewell was 79 years old, a C28 (Cobb reference) bat was sent to him with a length of 35 inches. It is possible that such an order, obviously for a special occasion or presentation, reflected a standard deviation from the aforementioned Old Cobb indexed length of 34.5 inches to 35 inches, however no notation of such a deviation is seen in his records between 1926 and 1933.

Brian-- if you could list the date of the sidewriting (and possibly post a pic), and the specific length of the bat, I will update the database.

Thanks, and Good Luck.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com (Jackitout7@aol.com)

[brianborsch]

Hey Mike,

The sidewritten date seems to be 6-29-33. In the pic it also says "NY Am League" which would be correct as he was with NY from 32-33. What worries me is the fact that you did not already have a record of this order. Is there a potential issue there? I have not received the bat yet, but once I do I can verify the length with you along with the weight. Let me know what you think after seeing the pics below.

Brian B
3402

3403

3404

3405

[MSpecht]

Hi Brian--

You have no problem at all. That specific bat is documented in Sewell's factory records bat card as follows:

6-29-33: Off Model Sent In / Model Made / Use It / 36 - 37 (oz)

Six ash bats were made and shipped to Sewell. So, basically what you have is one of two things: 1) a bat that can be authenticated to Sewell's professional use during the 1933 Yankee season, that he returned to H & B and requested additional bats be made off of it, which they were or 2) a tool room bat that was tooled off of a bat that Sewell sent in and used as the pattern for subsequent bats he ordered to be made like it.

I didn't list this order in the post above as it didn't pertain to any possible Sewell specs (length). When you get the bat and post the length, that will be one more reference point in Sewell's records and for any other player who subsequently ordered "Sewell's 6-29-33." At this point, it is one step at a time gathering additional info to supplement the existing records, particulasrly with respect to pre-1940 bat lengths.

One final question... when you get the bat would you post a pic of any center or barrel label that might be on it, if any , along with the specific length? Thanks.

Mike jackitout7@aol.com

[brianborsch]

Hey Mike, thanks for that info! So let me try to get this straight. Based on records, Sewell sent in an off model(what does that mean?) and ordered six bats that he wanted just like it. And Louisville Slugger then made a model of this bat to use to make the six bats. Is that correct?

As far as center branding, there is none. This is the model that LVS made. It is just side-written. Which leads to my next question, since this is not a game used Sewell bat, how much does that take away from the value? Obviously it is a bat in connection to Sewell's career in an indirect kind of way. And I figured since Sewell bats are practically non-existant, this is as close to a Sewell bat that I am going to get.

Sewell is my favorite player from the oldies as I admire his attitude and his ability to hit with patience.

As soon as I recieve the bat I will let you know the length and weight.

Oh, one more thing, how can I get copies of those bat order records? Would that be available in a official book? It would provide some pretty good provenance for the bat. Let me know. Thanks again!

[MSpecht]

Hi Brian--

To answer your questions--

First, regarding the language in the factory records. The term "Off Model Sent In" does not signify an "off-model" bat that was sent in by a player. Basically, it is H & B factory shorthand that, if fully written out, would translate to something like this:

" (Make some bats) Off (of this ) Model (that Sewell just) Sent In (because he likes them.)"

Throughout the records, often H & B will identify a bat from another manufacturer that was sent in for replication, such as "Off Spalding Model Sent In, or "Off Adirondack Model113A Sent In / Make Thinner Handle."

Second, Clearly, the bat would have a greater value if it had been used by Sewell (say another player's bat that he had borrowed) then sent in by him to be replicated, as the bat would be a Sewell game used professional model bat. I think those bats are often undervalued, as it seems many collectors do not like "two-player" bats. I recently saw a Jake Daubert signature bat that had been used and subsequently sent in by R Hornsby with documentary side-writing that matched up to Hornsby's factory records ("Model Sent In / Jake Daubert On End") that went for well below normal Hornsby prices, somewhere in the $4,000 range if I remember correctly. My belief is that the subject bat had a much more likely chance of having been used by Hornsby than just a professional model Hornsby bat with no provenance attached. But, that's just my opinion.

Ultimately, a game used bat will have most likely around three times the value of a tool room bat, if all things are equal. But, given a tool room bat of a mega-star, with tool room markings that clearly indicate that it was the prototype, or pattern bat for the players most popular model, with tool room markings adjusting it for specific orders that can be pinpointed in factory records, then who knows. Personally I really like my Andy Carey (H & B) and Jose Canseco (Glomar) tool room bats.

Third, I am certain that your specific bat will be documented in Vince Malta's new book, just as the chart currently appears in the Player Bat Charts section of the GUU website It is charted as "His (Sewell's) 6-29-33 and noted at 36 and 37 ounces in 1933. There is no length documented, and that is where you will come in when you post the length information that should cause everyone to make their first marks in their new book in two weeks or so.

Feel free to email me at the address below. Note that I also slightly edited my earlier post for clarification.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com

[brianborsch]

Hey Mike,

Thanks again for more clarity on this!

So could it be that the bat that I am getting that is side-written is an actual bat sent in by Joe Sewell? Or would LVS build a model based on a bat Sewell sent in? It sounds like the process is, a bat gets sent in to be replicated, and they side-write on it so they know who it is for and what date it was sent in. If so, then maybe Sewell actually handled the bat I am getting. Let me know your thoughts and I can't wait for that book!When is it out???

[bat_master]

Hey Mike,

Thanks again for more clarity on this!

So could it be that the bat that I am getting that is side-written is an actual bat sent in by Joe Sewell? Or would LVS build a model based on a bat Sewell sent in? It sounds like the process is, a bat gets sent in to be replicated, and they side-write on it so they know who it is for and what date it was sent in. If so, then maybe Sewell actually handled the bat I am getting. Let me know your thoughts and I can't wait for that book!When is it out???

Hi Brian,

More than likely the bat you are getting was lathe turned based on a returned Joe Sewell game used bat and then sidewritten. Your bat would be called a "lathe bat" and would have been used to make further models exactly like the bat that was returned.

In my opinion, (and I'm sure Mike can clarify this more readily) the odds that Joe Sewell ever handled the bat you are getting are slim as the bat would likely only have been used in the tool room by the bat makers themselves as a template to make other Sewell bats.

[brianborsch]

I see. I figured that was most likely the case since the bat has no stamping on it. I just hope the weights match up and the length is similar to his other bats.

Either way, its a bat made to Joe's specifications so it is somewhat linked to Sewell. I can't find an actual Joe Sewell bat anywhere (and LVS did not make store models of him) so this is as close as I get!

Brian B

[MSpecht]

I believe Art Jaffe had the bat listed as a lathe bat, consistent with tim's observation......I value and would trust Art's opinion on this because his experience with side written vintage bats is pretty much unequaled within the hobby, and he has seen more of these type of bats than most anyone out there. Just surfing through the vintage bat section of his site is a valuable resource in itself.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com (Jackitout7@aol.com)
.

[brianborsch]

Hey thanks for all your help! Yeah, his site described the bat as a Joe Sewell master bat. I am not sure the difference between a master bat and a lathe bat. But it looks like a lathe bat has something protruding out of the top of the barrell.

I can't wait to get it! I will post info as soon as it is here. Let me know when that book comes out. Thanks!