Game used bat question?????

[jon_8_us]

Pardon my ignorance but i'm still new at this hobby and just wondered how do some of these guys come up with all these game used bats??Batboys??Just asking the player??Any help would be appreciated.Thanks
jon

[suave1477]

Well from the past years it was a little of everything from the batboys, asking the players, equipment managers, other team members giving them out. Now within the past few years the teams themselves have chimed in on this market and realized that the junk they throw away or store in a basement can be sold and turn a good profit!!!

Those are just some of the ways!!!

[Yankwood]

Pardon my ignorance but i'm still new at this hobby and just wondered how do some of these guys come up with all these game used bats??Batboys??Just asking the player??Any help would be appreciated.Thanks
jon

Players give some of this stuff away, but when I started bat collecting 20 years ago most of this stuff found it's way out the old back door, if you know what I'm saying. Batboys, clubhouse boys, etc. Another source I had was a major league umpire who lived near me. He got caught doing this around 1990 and actually faced charges. It was pretty well publicized so you might even know who I mean.

[mr.miracle]

Sorry, can't remember back that far can you give us a hint as to his name?

[allstarsplus]

Here is one famous Umpire story:

AP: Ex-umpire admits he bilked fans with fake memorabiliaPosted February 24, 2004
Former MLB umpire Al Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with selling baseballs he falsely claimed had been used in memorable games. Clark claimed that the baseballs had been used in Dwight Gooden's May 1996 no-hitter for the New York Yankees, the 1978 AL East tiebreaker playoff between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, games where Cal Ripken tied and broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games record, and Nolan Ryan's 300th career victory in July 1990. The baseballs, sold through a memorabilia dealer, had never been used in any games.

[sportscentury]

Here is one famous Umpire story:

AP: Ex-umpire admits he bilked fans with fake memorabiliaPosted February 24, 2004

Former MLB umpire Al Clark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with selling baseballs he falsely claimed had been used in memorable games. Clark claimed that the baseballs had been used in Dwight Gooden's May 1996 no-hitter for the New York Yankees, the 1978 AL East tiebreaker playoff between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox, games where Cal Ripken tied and broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games record, and Nolan Ryan's 300th career victory in July 1990. The baseballs, sold through a memorabilia dealer, had never been used in any games.

I'd read that before. How did they prove that the baseballs had never been used in any games? Does anyone know that? Interesting stuff.