Louisville Slugger Maple bats in 2004 rare?

[brianborsch]

Hello,

I just wanted to get people's overall opinion on this topic. Reading on Birdbats.com about Louisville Slugger bats, I read that in 2004 the maple bats went from having the center logo printed on (Not burned in) as branding it compromised the structural integrity of Maple, as well as having "Select Maple" instead of "Powerized".

It also goes on to state that in mid-2004 they started to come out with the M9 bats for Maple. So my question is:

Is finding a bat that says "Select maple" considered better as it is rarer. You can no longer buy that ype of bat from LVS correct? Let me know your thoughts!

[jon_8_us]

I have the Manny Ramirez "select maple" LVS for sale on the site and from what i have seen in investigating this bat is that they are very rare.I would also love to hear about these bats as well.
jon

[Birdbats]

I'd consider the Select Maple label to be much more scarce since it seems it was done for only part of one season. If you're a collector of Red Sox or Cardinals bats, the Select Maple brand narrows the bat to the World Series season, vs. an M9 bat that could have been made after 2004.

Another note about H&B switching from branding maple bats (as they do ash) to using the M9 sticker: A friend of mine recently had a conversation with an H&B rep and the subject of maple bats came up. The rep said H&B had been making maple bats for a while, but because they weren't marked differently, people didn't notice. Apart from the integrity of the wood issue, he said the M9 sticker was adopted in an attempt to make H&B's maple bats stand out, allowing H&B to compete with other maple manufacturers, especially Sam Bats.

[allstarsplus]

Jeff is correct. LS got into the Maple bat manufacturing in 2003.

[Birdbats]

A quick glance through the factory records I have available show maple bat orders going back to 2001. I found three players who were shipped their first maple bats on 8/22/01 (Renteria, Kerry Robinson and Pujols). The earliest order I found was 3/3/01 for Jim Edmonds.

[allstarsplus]

You could be right but according to Louisville Slugger it was 2003 when they first started producing the maple.

[Birdbats]

Related to the Select Maple and M9 discussion, H&B also labeled their beechwood bats distinctly in 2004. I have a Mike Matheny that says "ProBeech" where the maple bats say "Select Maple." Matheny's factory records show only one order of beechwood bats on 7/19/04 (2 bats). Beech bats now have a B9 sticker, similar to the M9.

Regarding when H&B starting turning maple bats, I know of three Pujols maple C243C bats that match orders shipped in September and October of 2001 only. I have one, the Cardinals HOF/Museum has one, and Rob Steinmetz had one (before selling it recently). Not sure why H&B would say they started in 2003. Maybe they considered bats made before then to be experimental, and once players were satisfied with the product, they "officially" began marketing maple in 2003. Who knows?

[Rboitano]

Heres a couple examples.

[gameused]

A quick glance through the factory records I have available show maple bat orders going back to 2001. I found three players who were shipped their first maple bats on 8/22/01 (Renteria, Kerry Robinson and Pujols). The earliest order I found was 3/3/01 for Jim Edmonds.

Here evidence that supports early H&B maple bat orders, below are a some pics of a Edgar Renteria maple bat with the burnt in logo, this particular bat was used by Albert Pujols.

Bobby

[Birdbats]

Here evidence that supports early H&B maple bat orders, below are a some pics of a Edgar Renteria maple bat with the burnt in logo, this particular bat was used by Albert Pujols.

Bobby, in case you're interested, I think your bat dates to an order of 11 bats shipped on 6/26/03. It's the only order of maple I13 unfinished 34/31 bats on Edgar's factory records. Always cool when you can pinpoint a bat to factory records.