Steiner/Jason Giambi bat

[sarahsdad]

Hello Forum Members:
About 2 weeks ago I received an email from Bob Malandro at Steiner Sports containing a spread sheet with a massive amount of Yankees memorabilia for sale. As I went through the list I saw a Jason Giambi Game Issued LS bat for $100. I ordered it and it arrived today. It is a LS model G174, just like he uses and under the "125" there is a line. Anyone out there have any idea why a game issued bat from Steiner would have this line under the "125" in the center oval just above the "Louisville Slugger." I have a half dozen game used LS bats and none of them have a line under the 125. I thought that when a bat had the line under the 125 the bat was for promotional use only and not for potential use in a game. Needless to say I am quite disappointed that this happened. Anyone had a similar incident? Anyone know why the line is under the 125? Thanks for any help.
Howard

[ChrisCavalier]

Hello Forum Members:
About 2 weeks ago I received an email from Bob Malandro at Steiner Sports containing a spread sheet with a massive amount of Yankees memorabilia for sale. As I went through the list I saw a Jason Giambi Game Issued LS bat for $100. I ordered it and it arrived today. It is a LS model G174, just like he uses and under the "125" there is a line. Anyone out there have any idea why a game issued bat from Steiner would have this line under the "125" in the center oval just above the "Louisville Slugger." I have a half dozen game used LS bats and none of them have a line under the 125. I thought that when a bat had the line under the 125 the bat was for promotional use only and not for potential use in a game. Needless to say I am quite disappointed that this happened. Anyone had a similar incident? Anyone know why the line is under the 125? Thanks for any help.
Howard

Hello Howard,

My understanding of bats stamped with the underlined 125 is consistent with the definition found in the Glossary of Terms in Vince Malta's new book. Here is the relevant passage:

Show Bats Made to display player autographs for large sports conventions and shows, often resembling a professional bat, but usually made of a random weight. In the 1990s, most H&B show bats were stamped with a baselined 125, distinguishing them from their pro counterparts.

Hope that helps.

Sincerely,
Chris

[suave1477]

In Steiners defense and human arror defense....

thats all this might be is a human error.

Possible reasons for this bat..

1) It could have gotten mixed by accident with Giambis Game Issued bats and they grabbed whichever bat and sent it out. Bob doesnt ship the bats he would have placed the order and there shipping department would have sent it out.
2) Giambi himself (it is possible have heard of things like this before) might of ran out of bats and asked the gift store to send him one down.
3) Maybe the manufacturer by accident got it mixed in with Giambis batch and thats why he didnt use it.

If it really bothers you that much I am sure you can contact Bob and explain to him the situation, he will try to correct it.

[sarahsdad]

I did contact Bob by email and by phone. He replied with a 2 sentence email basically telling me to send it back if I was not happy with it. No explanation, no "Oops". I think its sad that Steiner of all people would send out something like that. Steiner hologram or not, most collectors won't touch a bat with the line under the 125 and then to sell it as "Game Issued". If there is a collector out there who thinks I am being unreasonable I would love to hear from them. Thanks everyone for all of your help.
Howard

[suave1477]

Well again I think your being a bit unreasonable. It is human error as I mentioned before Bob himself doesn't ship out the items himself. They just put in an order to the shipping dept with a ton of Giambi Issued bats they grab one package it and ship it out there is no real science to it, to some average joe working in shipping to know anything more then it was labeled as Game Issued.

On top of that I gave you 3 other possible reasons which anyone of them could of actually happend.

It is not like Bob turned around and said too bad your stuck with it. You said it yourself Bob asked you to return it I am sure if he could he would try to replace it with the correct item.

Again it is just a minor human error, I am sure you werent singled out to be done intentionally.

[sarahsdad]

I am trying to understand what you are saying. Here is how I see it. Steiner and many in the collecting world consider Steiner to be the Holy Grail whem it comes to Yankees items and as such everyone who purchases from them pays a premium for their items. Yet they send me what they believe to be is a game issued Giambi bat with a line under the 125, and they did not include a LOA. I am going out on a limb here but I'll bet Lampson would have rejected this bat due to the line under the 125. And we all know Lampson does not reject anything. I tried to get an explanation from Bob Malandro as to why the bat had a line under the 125 and he did not give me one. All he said was if you are not satisfied send it back. Are there any collectors out there who would have kept this bat? I'd like to hear from you. Thanks everone.
Sarahsdad

[Carlevv]

The bats with the line under them cost the team about half of what the real game bats cost. They started buying them that way to save money when someone wanted an autograph bat from a player. For instance, Posada needs a bat for his charity from Jason Giambi, they get the replica because to some people they just dont know the difference. The wood on the replica bat is bad as far as good graing goes hence the price cut in half. For Steiner to send one of those out IMO it not a human error its just plain wrong. That bat should have never even been in the same room with Giambi's game bats. Im going to go out on a limb here and say this isnt the first time Steiner has done this.

[stlbats]

You can buy that exact Giambi bat from Anaconda Sports for $75 right now. Blonde LVS G174 with the line under the 125. Its simply not a game issue bat, but a promo. I personally would send it back.

Thanks
Jason
ripken8@bellsouth.net
Always looking for STL bats.

[sarahsdad]

Thanks for the replies. The bat was sent back but I paid the postage for the POS to be sent to me and then for me to send it back. Steiner clearly does not need my business. They was not even an attempt to make things right but it does make me suspect and doubt Steiner's reputation and some of the items they are representing as game used and game issued. And by the way the 25 page spreadsheet they emailed to me went right in the trash and I will not purchase another item from them. And in my opinion their LOA's are just as good as toilet paper.
Sarahsdad

[Carlevv]

LOA's are the biggest joke in this hobby IMO.