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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.