Louisville Slugger Model C12

[godwulf]

Saw a Casey Fossum DBacks bat at auction the other day, and since I'd never seen one before - he pitched briefly for us, in '04 - I picked it up, despite the fact that it's "game-ready" at best: no numbers, pine tar, sanding, use of any kind (except for lots of rack marks). What's a step below game-ready, for a bat...game-issued?

Anyway, when it came I was amazed at the thickness of the handle. It looks almost like one of those turn-of-the-last-century thick-handled bats you see, or a softball bat. Did a Google search and found references and photos of C12s used by Nellie Fox and Larry Bowa. In my own collection of over 900 bats, I don't have a single other C12. You?

[MSpecht]

Here's an informal history of H & B model C12:

In June, 1932, Detroit's Charlie Gehringer ordered a "Hornsby (bat) with a Billy Rhiel (Gehringer's Tiger teammate) handle." The Rhiel handle was thicker than the Hornsby model cited. After additional orders, in May, 1934 that model was designated as "Gehringer's 5-26-34," and subsequently in the early 1940's was assigned H & B model number G7.

In April, 1951 Nellie Fox ordered a bat that had likely been crafted to the dimension's of a player identified as R. Kramer (see below) that had been apparently designated model C12. The dimensions were apparently the same as Gehringer's G7 model, as the entry in Fox' H & B records reads ""4-13-51 R Kramer C12 use G7." A similar notation "C12 use G7" appears several more times in Fox' records in 1951, and finally, when Fox signed an endorsement contract with H & B on 7/11/51, his signature was put on a Model C12 which also became his Pro Stock model and, due to the somewhat unique dimensions of the bat, became forever linked with Nellie Fox.

Theory -- There is no Major League player of the period named R. Kramer. Although the R. Kramer notation in Fox' records may refer to a Minor League player, it is also possible that the name was mis-spelled in Fox' records and actually refers to Roger "Doc" Cramer who played with the Tigers throughout the 1940's and who would have been in a position to see and try out Rhiel's bat and Gehringer's bat and request the same bat for his own use. Later, when bats were pulled from the H & B vault to be assigned numbers, the bat was designated C12, which would be consistent with H & B's system of the first letter of the model number reflecting the bin from which it came, in this, the C (Doc Cramer) bin....

Thus, it is possible that Billy Rhiel's model bat (Hornsby with thick handle), Charlie Gehringer's model bat (Hornsby with Rhiel handle designated G7), Doc Cramer's model bat (designated C12) and Nellie Fox' model bat (C12) all share the same dimensions, with the lineage of Hornsby to Rhiel to Gehringer to Cramer to Fox.

Mike Jackitout7@aol.com

[MiLe HigH]

I have a Nellie Fox LVS C12 used by Western State College. Its a huge bat!

[godwulf]

Thanks for the History, MS - that was interesting.

I've also found a photo of one of Tommy John's C12s.

Don't know about Fox or Bowa, but I can see where a pitcher might favor something with a big, thick handle like this, the better to bunt with. It really is odd-looking.

[godwulf]

Maybe when Brian is back to work and has the time, he'd do a little computer search on who else uses, or has used, that model. I'm betting that it's not a big list, at least among current players.

[89ASMVPBats]

Thanks for the history, Mike. I would love to see photos of a C12 if someone is able to post them.

Thanks,
Drew

[godwulf]

Sorry the photo is so huge - not sure how to re-size it - but this gives you a good idea of what this model looks like.