1939-42 Ted Williams Bat at Mears - OH on knob

[matt]

I now see that PSA holo dates the it as 1944-48 and lists a cracked 31 ounce bat. So maybe this PSA/DNA sticker is associated with a different bat since the auction listing is for an uncracked 32 ounce bat with no model number. Hard to see PSA issuing a COA for a non-model number bat with a 1944-48 date range.

I am confused. Maybe I will break out the Malta book and the magnifying bat tonight and see what the labeling can tell us about the bat pictured in the auction. I have a very good circa 1946 Williams bat I can compare it to as well.

[matt]

Not sure anyone was paying attention to this thread, but just to close it out this bat sold for $14K. I did not bid on it but concluded it was a legit 1946 or 47 Williams bat with likely use by another player as well after reviewing the markings. It is NOT a 1939-41 bat as claimed based on the center brand and Powerized but it does look like a legit 1944-1948 bat as PSA had concluded. Wiliams did not order bats in 1943-45 I believe the model numbers phased in until about 1946 and 1947 and this bat was likely made for Williams from a pre-war blank after the war. MEARS incorrectly concluded 1939-1943 simply based on the lack of model number I think. But the markings are not from that period IMHO. Regardless the weird OH or HO marking on the knob is a problem obviously unless someone can explain it.

Hope this is useful commentary to someone!

[yanks12025]

Not sure anyone was paying attention to this thread, but just to close it out this bat sold for $14K. I did not bid on it but concluded it was a legit 1946 or 47 Williams bat with likely use by another player as well after reviewing the markings. It is NOT a 1939-41 bat as claimed based on the center brand and Powerized but it does look like a legit 1944-1948 bat as PSA had concluded. Wiliams did not order bats in 1943-45 I believe the model numbers phased in until about 1946 and 1947 and this bat was likely made for Williams from a pre-war blank after the war. MEARS incorrectly concluded 1939-1943 simply based on the lack of model number I think. But the markings are not from that period IMHO. Regardless the weird OH or HO marking on the knob is a problem obviously unless someone can explain it.

Hope this is useful commentary to someone!

Mears has told me before that they don't go by the Malta book. They don't think theres enough evidence to back up the date ranges in the book or something along those lines.

They had a Hank Aaron bat months ago that they dated to either 1956 or 57 and said it matched records, but the bat was really a 1960 and wouldn't have matched his 1960 records.

[russyurk]

Great work on this guys. As we all know even the experts are not 100% correct. I’m a Team USA jersey collector and they auctioned off a large number of supposed 1984 Olympic jerseys which wasn’t correct. Style was good, everything else was bad.