Mike Cameron/Harold Baines gu bat question/opinions

[Dhesketh]

New to the forum and fairly new to collecting so bear with me.

Picked up a Mike Cameron game used Hoosier bat off ebay a bit ago, supposedly used during his time with the Mariners. Since then I've learned a little bit more about gu bats, and did some research on it. I've come to the conclusion that this may have actually been used by Harold Baines and not Cameron. Figured I'd bring the question here and see if the veterans can weigh in and help me out. Here is my reasoning.

-as far as I can tell from various image searches and Getty, Mike Cameron didn't seem to use Hoosier bats during his time with the Mariners. All i could find was when he played with the white sox, and maybe before. I don't have access to ordering records so this is just a best guess.

-based on the light use on the bat (some ball scuffs and stitch imprints), It looks like this bat was actually used by a lefty. There is no use on the left side of the barrel.

-the number 3 is written on the handle, and the tape job doesn't seem consistent with Cameron.

And this brought me to Harold Baines. Of all Cameron's teammates that wore 3 over his career, the only lefty I could find was Baines. They played together on the white sox from 96-97, and during that time Baines also used the same model 135 Hoosier bats. Also the tape job on the handle is consistent with Baines.

So there you have it. I may be totally off, and just trying to find something interesting in an uninteresting bat. It very well could have been used by neither. Let me know what you think, any info or opinion will be helpful. Going to attempt to post some pictures of the bat below, and ones of Cameron and Baines with Hoosier bats from the 97 season.

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[emann]

-based on the light use on the bat (some ball scuffs and stitch imprints), It looks like this bat was actually used by a lefty. There is no use on the left side of the barrel.

I don't have an opinion on Baines/Cameron use, but the pics you show of the bat show more than light use. The amount of use on the barrel to me would rate moderate to heavy side—not necessarily light as you describe it. Just from the limited angles on those pics, I can see some nice checking of the wood, little seperation, seam marks, transfers and tar. It looks like it has some good use on it . . .

[Dhesketh]

Moderate to heavy? Very cool. Thanks for the info.

[bat_master]

That's heavy use. The grain has swelling and separation from repeated contact.

[helf35]

I would say you have a Baines bat. There was a bossier model Baines in a 5 bat lot on golden recently with the 96-97 year on the PSA letter.

[PwKw13]

Just throwing this out there for something else to think about. The way the "3" is written (flat top) is consistent with the way it was written on the knob of some of Arod's bats while with the Mariners (I borrowed one photo from your site Nick -- Thanks!).

Alex Rodriguez and Mike Cameron were together with the Mariners in 2000. Apparently, Arod was hitting label down in 2000:

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/ne...s-photo/711109

That being said, the Hoosier model and the knob tape don't seem to point to Arod.