What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

[3arod13]

I realize many collectors look for different things when looking for a game used bat (specific year/model; number of bats ordered by the player; heavy use; etc.)

For me, heavy game use. I see so many gamers out there with hardly any use. The more the bat was used by the player, the more I desire those bats.

What do you look for in a game used bat? What's important to you?

[dcrules01]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I like heavy use just totally hammered.I also like them cracked or broken that does not bother me.The Mother's day bats are an awesome idea.To know a player only used the bat in one game and my money helps a good cause makes me happy .

[3arod13]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I like heavy use just totally hammered.I also like them cracked or broken that does not bother me.The Mother's day bats are an awesome idea.To know a player only used the bat in one game and my money helps a good cause makes me happy .

I like heavy use also. I don't care for cracked bats. Even if I found an arod bat with heavy use and cracked, I wouldn't want it. For some reason, cracked bats just don't do it for me.

[jonincleve]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

actually i prefer a small crack in the bat. not an explosion break, or with wood missing. just a small crack in the handle with some good ball marks, pine tar will do it for me. to me, odds are in my favor that the bat was actually used. my question is how many players would willing give up a good solid bat with game use? being that baseball players are a creature of habit, i would think they would ride a bat until it breaks. the argument for a non-broken bat would be 'it doesn't feel right' or 'i can't buy a hit with this bat' or manny ramirez 'who's bat is this, i'll use it anyway'.

take care
john

jonincleve@sbcglobal.net

[3arod13]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

actually i prefer a small crack in the bat. not an explosion break, or with wood missing. just a small crack in the handle with some good ball marks, pine tar will do it for me. to me, odds are in my favor that the bat was actually used. my question is how many players would willing give up a good solid bat with game use? being that baseball players are a creature of habit, i would think they would ride a bat until it breaks. the argument for a non-broken bat would be 'it doesn't feel right' or 'i can't buy a hit with this bat' or manny ramirez 'who's bat is this, i'll use it anyway'.

take care
john

jonincleve@sbcglobal.net

John, great point. Never thought about it that way. Guess I would believe that a player most likely used the bat, if cracked. Makes me rethink about wanting a game used cracked bat. Thanks, Tony

[Yankwood]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I like good characterisitics from the player (tape, tar, typical ball marks,etc.) and I prefer cracked to uncracked. Never understood why a player would give up a good bat with good use that wasn't cracked. Makes me wonder if it was used by a player in games or BP., or at all. It's just preference on my part, but I love crack. ....for bats, that is.

[jonincleve]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

just out of curiosity 'think like a crook'. could you fake a crack in a bat? we have all heard the stories of a guy take a clean bat and doctoring it up as a game used bat. putting on pine tar etc... could you fake a crack in the handle? i can't see a crook taking an albert pujols bat and hitting it against a wall or something to fake a crack. it would leaves some blunt force trama marks. they would have to get a pitcher throwing 80-90 mph with official baseballs and put wear and a crack into it. the way a bat breaks i think it would be hard to do/time consuming. does this sound logical?

Tony, thanks for the post

john

jonincleve@sbcglobal.net

[3arod13]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

just out of curiosity 'think like a crook'. could you fake a crack in a bat? we have all heard the stories of a guy take a clean bat and doctoring it up as a game used bat. putting on pine tar etc... could you fake a crack in the handle? i can't see a crook taking an albert pujols bat and hitting it against a wall or something to fake a crack. it would leaves some blunt force trama marks. they would have to get a pitcher throwing 80-90 mph with official baseballs and put wear and a crack into it. the way a bat breaks i think it would be hard to do/time consuming. does this sound logical?

Tony, thanks for the post

john

jonincleve@sbcglobal.net

John, excellent point. Trying to put a crack in a bat on your own (not being cracked during a game) I think would be difficult. Wow, I know have changed my thinking about cracked game used bats. I just always thought it was better to have one not cracked. I now think I will be looking for a well-used cracked arod gamer.

Awesome comments...thanks! Regards, Tony

[hiramman]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I love cracked bats, too. I agree with John and always have had that same thought process. How do all of these uncracked bats seem to show up. I'm sure many of them are given up by players because they just don't like the bat, but I find it hard to believe that some of these uncracked bats that show tons & tons of awesome usage are just given up by the player without some type of damage. If you had used a bat enough and were sucessful enough with that bat to use it game after game, would you just give it up for no reason. Gotta be a small percentage.

Cracked bats on the other hand. Though, I guess they could be faked, I would think it would be much harder to fake. I guess it could be done with several dozen MLB balls, a pitching machine, and some game-issue bats, but how many of us would risk destroying the bat, trying to get it just to crack. I've cracked wooden bats during practice back years ago and of course it can be done, but exactly how easy and how time-consuming I wouldn't be able to guess. Just seems like it would be much easier to doctor the bat and sell as uncracked and game-used. You get more for it and collectors are snapping them up by the truckloads. Ever noticed that you see many more uncracked bats than cracked bats. Check out everybody's lists that are selling bats. Just seems weird. Seems like the perfect scam to me.

[indyred]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I like some nice use. I prefer uncracked to cracked. I don't mind cracked as long as pieces aren't missing and the crack is small and in the handle area. I don't like cracks in the barrell or nasty looking long splits. Bats can crack real easy. It all depends on the wood. If someone wants to fake use, taking cuts. They could easily crack the bat doing this and not even trying to do it.

[brianborsch]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I am all for uncracked with light to heavy use. Hell, I am even into game issued bats. I just need my bat in one solid piece. I currently have a bat that has heavy use and is uncracked and caked with pine tar. It has ball marks and deep seam marks as well.

While it may not have been used in a regular season game, I know it was at least used in spring training and it is autographed by the player. I bought this from someone who knows the player so who knows, the player may give up a good bat to a friend, as players have tons of bats and can always get more. Not to mention, if you know a bat will break at some point, what does it hurt to exchange it out early? You may lose some at-bats from that one bat, but who is to say the next bat won't yield better results? It all depends on the player and their superstitions.

Brian B.

[3arod13]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I am all for uncracked with light to heavy use. Hell, I am even into game issued bats. I just need my bat in one solid piece. I currently have a bat that has heavy use and is uncracked and caked with pine tar. It has ball marks and deep seam marks as well.

While it may not have been used in a regular season game, I know it was at least used in spring training and it is autographed by the player. I bought this from someone who knows the player so who knows, the player may give up a good bat to a friend, as players have tons of bats and can always get more. Not to mention, if you know a bat will break at some point, what does it hurt to exchange it out early? You may lose some at-bats from that one bat, but who is to say the next bat won't yield better results? It all depends on the player and their superstitions.

Brian B.

Brian, ok...now you got me interested. Who is the player and can you add a pic of of the bat. I love to see massive use...caked on pine tar...ball marks, taped handles caked with pine tar, etc. We did a thread awhile back on "let's see you heaviest game used bat. It was great to see other collectors bats. There were some really nice gamers!

Regards, Tony

[geoff]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

To me I love a bat that has lots of ball marks with alot of pintar or motostick and a bat still being sticky is a plus.I would rather have a uncracked bat but I do own a few uncracked bats as well.

Thanks
Geoff

[Nnunnari]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

I believe a crack adds character to a bat. You can lineup 10 different cracked A-Rod C271s and they could all look very similar w/ use and tar but the cracks are what differentiate the bats and bring out the charcter. I like my bats to be cracked because I feel as though it was used during games until it couldn't be used anymore. I never understood the concept of only collecting uncracked bats- one would have to believe there are many more fakes in an uncracked collection.

[woodbat]

Re: What do you look for when buying a game used bat?

Hi,
Read all the posts with interest, very nice. To each his own, all valid comments. As a collector of only game used bats of the St Louis Cardinals, here is what I look for:
1. When did he play with St Louis? Does the bat match the time?
2. What was his StL uniform number(s)? Are they found on the barrel/knob?
Correct numbers are nice, but with all the bat exchanging, could be another
players number, also maybe there is no number. Look at the pine tar, ball marks, cleat marks, sometimes excessive pine tar is wrong, does the player bat right or left, when he bats is the label up or down. Do the ball marks match his batting habits? Is he a switch hitter?
3. Cracked, uncracked, broken in ?? pieces, missing pieces, etc? I personally l like a cracked bat, but donot like a missing piece or especially a chunk out the knob. I will have a bat repaired only if in pieces, exploded or cracked badly enough to cause possible injury in handling. With over 500 Cardinal bats in my collection, over 80% are cracked in varying degrees. All my needed repairs are done by Jeff Scott.
4. I guess a person could make a "fake" bat into a "gamer" by using or breaking it in some manner. But that person would have to be able to hit a major league ball traveling in excess of 80-85 MPH, several times to show correct ball contact and location of ball marks for that players bat. Pine tar application hand placement etc. To me it would be easier to take a lightly cracked and expertly repaired bat to show an "uncracked" bat.
5.Here is an example of a good cracked gamer. Mark Littell was a relief pitcher for KC 1973-77 wore #27 and #17. Moved to StL in 1978, wore 32 in 1978-79 and switched to #34 in 1980 to 1982. Since the bat is a H&B, has to be pre 1980, with the #32 on the knob, places it correctly to 1978-79 Cardinal gamer. Shows a lot of contact and is cracked. My type of bat..
6. Last but not least, if I need, or if you may need any Cardinal bat information, contact birdbats@charter.net.

Thanks
woodbat@bellsouth.net