Game usage?

[Vintagedeputy]

Looks to me like this bat says BP on the knob...or am I seeing things?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dave-Parker-game-used-bat-Pittsburgh-Pirates-Angels_W0QQitemZ300120377999QQihZ020QQcategoryZ605 96QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[zonker]

look's like a big yellow "bp" to me!

[Jags Fan Dan]

That would explain why it is so hammered with use.

[camarokids]

Batting Practice and even just rack marks are considered game used by most dealers . There is a 5 underneath the BP . Possibly the bat was game used then went to BP , that could explain all the use as well . It has a ton of pine tar and mota stick stuff .

If its good enough for MLB to sell BP jerseys as game used . Also coaches , utility players and or mgrs jerseys who sat in the dugout ?? also all the TBTC stuff that is only game worn and NOT used ? just my take ...

[Vintagedeputy]

What may be good enough for MLB or a dealer is not necessarily good enough for me.

A BP bat should be advertised as just that.

Swing your bat in the on deck circle with a donut. Time the pitcher while taking that imaginary cut. Throw more pine tar on with the tar rag.

Walk to the plate with your war club. Stand in the batter's box, gripping that handle, hoping for a hit. Tap the dirt from your cleats, made sure the trademark faces the right way, take a hand off the bat as you make a religious gesture and kiss the medallion hanging around your neck. Grip the bat again. Stare the pitcher down and swing a few more practice swings. Wait for the ball........

That's game use to me!

[camarokids]

What may be good enough for MLB or a dealer is not necessarily good enough for me.

A BP bat should be advertised as just that.

Swing your bat in the on deck circle with a donut. Time the pitcher while taking that imaginary cut. Throw more pine tar on with the tar rag.

Walk to the plate with your war club. Stand in the batter's box, gripping that handle, hoping for a hit. Tap the dirt from your cleats, made sure the trademark faces the right way, take a hand off the bat as you make a religious gesture and kiss the medallion hanging around your neck. Grip the bat again. Stare the pitcher down and swing a few more practice swings. Wait for the ball........

That's game use to me!

Great, vivid description , I could not agree with you more !

I was not agreeing with the current standards that are being used to describe game use ! just mentioning them .....:)

[Canseco44]

I've always wondered what the chance of a pitcher (which are known for their hitting skills) has ever used the same bat for 5 or 6 games and never made contact with the ball. That would be game used, in at the plate appearences, but was never scarred with any use. I have wondered about this many times. This would be a game used bat. I have seen a lot of pitchers who don't use any pine tar, so that would not be present. Besides rack marks it would look almost brand new. Has anyone ever come acroos this?

Todd

[metsbats]

Pitchers take batting practice too. I don't think many pitchers have BP bat verses Game bats. I would expect to see some hit marks specifically BP type hit marks on a pitchers bat in my opinion.

I have "game used" bats of relief pitchers and go back to the year to see how many plate appearances they've had. Not many. However there are plenty of hit marks mostly BP dark ball marks on these bats.

David

[Vintagedeputy]

I was contemplating placing a bid on the Eckersley bat that just ended on ebay. In my research, I found that in the 2 years that Eck could have used that bat, he had one at bat. While he may have had some unofficial at bats, I couldnt justify the price for a bat that probably was "batting practice used".

[camarokids]

I've always wondered what the chance of a pitcher (which are known for their hitting skills) has ever used the same bat for 5 or 6 games and never made contact with the ball. That would be game used, in at the plate appearences, but was never scarred with any use. I have wondered about this many times. This would be a game used bat. I have seen a lot of pitchers who don't use any pine tar, so that would not be present. Besides rack marks it would look almost brand new. Has anyone ever come acroos this?

Todd

I have a Jorge Sosa Devil Rays with tons of rack marks , but I can't find a ball mark on it . I think it is already in a photo on this forum ....Hi todd BTW :)

[Canseco44]

I realize some pitchers may take BP but in todays world of what seems like players using a bat a game, I would bet some pitchers have BP bats as well as regular game bats. Especially an American League pitcher who may only bat 10 at bats a year. My real question was, are these still considered to be a game used bat even though there is no real use? It would seem to me a BP bat would be a better choice for a game used bat in this case. I just sold a Jason Isringhausen game used bat that was a game used bat but had no real hit marks. It had some tar and the bat racks and some other marks, but looked to me like it never made contact with a ball. Whats up camarokids. I hope the Canseco bat was a nice addition to your collection, which by the way is growing rapidly. Nice!!


Todd

[metsbats]

Todd,

We use the definition of "game used" as per Vince Malta's book BATS then it would be a game used bat. However since the pitcher swings three times and misses (even over the course of 5-6 games) and does the same in batting practice the evidence of game use is not there.

It's just harder to say game used if we don't see the evidence of game use.

David

[Canseco44]

Thanks for the response metsbats. That was the point I was trying to make. Just because a pitcher is a bad hitter shouldn't mean his bats are not game used. I would think the same would go fo a pitcher or back up who just did not make it to the field for that game. He is still on the roster and at the game in the dugout or bullpen. I would think this would be game used. It's a step above game issued. It is actually on the players back, so I would think it would have to be game used. Maybe there is a difference in game used and game worn. What do you think?

Todd

[metsbats]

Depends. If the player is a coach or manager then it's game used because they don't play in a game. If a player is a bench player or relief pitcher and never gets into a game then it's game worn because the player is wearing it during the course of a game but does not play in the game.

I do not believe we can state the same for a bat that does not get used though as the bat really did not see any action but stayed in the rack not used.

David