Don Mattingly...Game Used or Batting Practice Bat?

[3arod13]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Don-Mattingly-Si...QQcmdZViewItem

Emailed seller....doesn't respond

[JimCaravello]

My opinion of the bat is that it clearly had tape on the barrel at one time. I don't know how you can come to any other conclusion by looking at the pics. A lot of times, players will use a bat pretty extensively and then tape the barrel and use it for BP as the bat maybe doens't have the pop it used to - or the barrel may have deadwood, etc. Hope that helps. Jim

[3arod13]

My opinion of the bat is that it clearly had tape on the barrel at one time. I don't know how you can come to any other conclusion by looking at the pics. A lot of times, players will use a bat pretty extensively and then tape the barrel and use it for BP as the bat maybe doens't have the pop it used to - or the barrel may have deadwood, etc. Hope that helps. Jim

Thanks! Just as I figured. Seller finally reponded once he saw my post on GUU. However, he also added a threat of his lawyer.

[kellsox]

I dont know the whole story but its a shame that this seller chose to mention a possible threat from his lawyer when questions were directed to him, then the forum, about the use of a bat with a 2K+ asking price. If an item is put on the market, questions should be expected from potential buyers. It's that whole "do your homework" thing.
kelly

[TFig27]

I saw this auction and wondered the same thing. The thing that threw me off is that there are blue marks where the tape used to be. Are these ball marks or rack marks?

[JimCaravello]

I have had some dialogue with Zane Burns on this bat and he indicates to me that the bat was used by Mattingly in games prior to being taped. I tend to agree with his analysis, even without seeing the bat first hand - the bat appears to have great use - great Mattingly tar markings - and #7 on the butt and knob, which Mattingly did quite often on his game bats during this period.

Did Mattingly use this in BP after he used it in games? I don't think anyone knows - but the barrel was fully taped at some point in time and you don't tape a barrel to use it in a game - players ususally do this to use the bat in batting practice.

As a collector - you have to make a determination as to what you want in your collection and do the following facts make you buy or pass on this bat?:

• The bat shows perfect Mattingly attributes and game use and there is an extremely high probability that the bat was used extensively by Mattingly in games.
• At some point in time, the barrel was fully taped and then the tape was removed.
• Players typically tape barrels in this fashion even on bats used in games to later use for BP.
• You don't really know if Mattingly used the bat in BP, but you feel good about the fact that it was used during games.

Great case study here - sounds like this thread has helped a lot of people and if anyone has any questions, please let me know. Thanks, Jim

[3arod13]

I dont know the whole story but its a shame that this seller chose to mention a possible threat from his lawyer when questions were directed to him, then the forum, about the use of a bat with a 2K+ asking price. If an item is put on the market, questions should be expected from potential buyers. It's that whole "do your homework" thing.
kelly

Agree 100%. Seller never reponded to my emails until I posted on GUU. He then threatened me with his lawyer. I have every right to ask questions or question an item if i feel a reason too.

I never sent the seller a rude or nasty email. Only questioned it as a BP bat.

I never understand why so many sellers get defensive when questioned. To me, that only shows guilty.

[Carlevv]

Ive been watching this thread and have to comment. If a player ever puts tape on his bat its for BP only. You dont tape up a bat and think its ever going to be used in a game. If you open up a dozen bats and think you might have a winner you use it in BP for a few swings and then you use it in the game. I dont know why people try to fool everyone and say its a game bat when its obvious there has been tape on the barrell? Clean it up fellas, game used bats are just that, not tape taken off after used in BP. Listen, if you put in on EBAY some Donnie Baseball fan might be happy to bid on this...... However, Mattingly marked all his bats with 7 on the knob and the barrell for security reasons. Being a former bat boy i always wondered why Donnie Baseball put Mickey's number 7 on his bats and it was obvious.... he didnt want anyone to look at the knob or the barrell in a bat bag and take his bats. Please understand his therory guys.... His real gamers are cool, his fake gamers are a dissapointment.

[3arod13]

Ive been watching this thread and have to comment. If a player ever puts tape on his bat its for BP only. You dont tape up a bat and think its ever going to be used in a game. If you open up a dozen bats and think you might have a winner you use it in BP for a few swings and then you use it in the game. I dont know why people try to fool everyone and say its a game bat when its obvious there has been tape on the barrell? Clean it up fellas, game used bats are just that, not tape taken off after used in BP. Listen, if you put in on EBAY some Donnie Baseball fan might be happy to bid on this...... However, Mattingly marked all his bats with 7 on the knob and the barrell for security reasons. Being a former bat boy i always wondered why Donnie Baseball put Mickey's number 7 on his bats and it was obvious.... he didnt want anyone to look at the knob or the barrell in a bat bag and take his bats. Please understand his therory guys.... His real gamers are cool, his fake gamers are a dissapointment.

Well said, and thanks for your comments and info!

[Yankwood]

Ive been watching this thread and have to comment. If a player ever puts tape on his bat its for BP only. You dont tape up a bat and think its ever going to be used in a game. If you open up a dozen bats and think you might have a winner you use it in BP for a few swings and then you use it in the game. I dont know why people try to fool everyone and say its a game bat when its obvious there has been tape on the barrell? Clean it up fellas, game used bats are just that, not tape taken off after used in BP. Listen, if you put in on EBAY some Donnie Baseball fan might be happy to bid on this...... However, Mattingly marked all his bats with 7 on the knob and the barrell for security reasons. Being a former bat boy i always wondered why Donnie Baseball put Mickey's number 7 on his bats and it was obvious.... he didnt want anyone to look at the knob or the barrell in a bat bag and take his bats. Please understand his therory guys.... His real gamers are cool, his fake gamers are a dissapointment.

I understand it was a common practice of his to put a 7 or a 5 on the knob to deter theft. And I also believe that was true. The only thing I question is, much as I love Don, did he know whose numbers those were? And wouldn't that draw attention even more? This practice obviously did not work as there were many of these bats around before collectors started stashing his bats away. You would have thought he would use a number like 50 or 52 or something that wouldn't draw so much attention. At any rate, the BP bat on ebay looks nice but it's out of my price range for a bat that does not appear to be a true "gamer".