Why all the sanded bat ends?!

[Swoboda4]

As a game used bat collector I feel comfortable when I see uniform number at either the top, or at the bottom of the bat. What I've seen lately in many G/U bats being offered for sale is a well used bat with a sand papered end displaying a fresh sharpie number applied that bears no resemblance to the wear displayed elsewhere on the bat. In extreme cases I think sellers have a game issued major league bat that was used by another player. That players number is sanded off and the player named on the bat,his number is then placed on the bat. I'm very suspicious of G/U bats with a "sanded" top or bottom.




What the bottom should look like:


This is not to say a genuine player's bat cant be sanded,but why would he? You get a bat,you mark it and that's it. Why would the player named on the label re-sand the end and mark something else on it?

[Ozric]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

This is a great question. I have a few bats that have the sanded ends, but they are all from players that were prone to number changes early in their career. This made sense to me so they could re-number the bat for their new number without making it look sloppy. Also, I have a few bats that have been written over so many times the number is almost illegible. I have an Alomar Jr Dodgers bat that he took with him to the Mets that probably has 4 different numbers scribbled over each other due to the amount of number changes he had.

[metsbats]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

I would stay away from sanded end bats.

Most of the bats which i've owned which were used by other players (not the player whose bat it is) have crossed out numbers or blackened knobs with the new numbers written over them.

It's very doubtfully a player or bat boy would take the time to use sand paper to renumber a bat.

[metsbats]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

I would stay away from sanded end bats.

Most of the bats which i've owned which were used by other players (not the player whose bat it is) have crossed out numbers or blackened knobs with the new numbers written over them.

It's very doubtfully a player or bat boy would take the time to use sand paper to renumber a bat.

I'm not saying it's not done but highly unlikely IMHO.

[Swoboda4]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

David,you are so right about a player not caring about sanding a bat end (or top)to perfection to put his new number on. Now,a clubhouse boy may have the time to do so and believe he's doing a good job-but that player better have been traded so that can be the case. A player would be more prone to blacking out the number or writing over the existing number(if he was traded remember). If a bat comes from a player who has not been traded I would steer clear from a sanded end or top bat. I spoke to Robin Ventura who told me that Edgardo Alfonzo used his bats frequently,so there's that aspect. But stay away from "sanded Butt-heads"!!!

[sox83cubs84]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

Many years ago, Chicago shows had a bat dealer who used to sell numerous store model H&B/LS bats as game used. He'd forge the use, and sandpaper the knob flat to eliminate the store model markings on the knob, then write the appropriate uniform number over the sanded knob. LS bats, of course, don't have totally flat knobs (unless they've changed this in the last year or two)...there is a slight rounding to their knobs.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[kingjammy24]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

...

unlike LVS', rawlings bats have numbers carved into the knob. i think these knob stampings could help discern whether or not a knob was sanded.

take the olerud bat shown in this thread

1) notice how parts of the "9" have dipped into the grooves of the knob stampings? if there were a previous number written on the knob, then wouldn't remnants of that previous number have seeped into those grooves the same way that the "9" has? the only ink remnants in the grooves seem to correspond to the "9". you could sand the knob down but you couldn't sand ink remnants out of the tiny grooves of the knob stampings.

2) i don't know how deep the ink seeps into the wood so i don't really know how much sanding you'd have to do to completely remove it. but the more you sand, the more "shallow" the knob stampings are going to be. its possible you could sand them down to almost nothing. the knob stampings on the olerud don't appear any more shallow than normal.

rudy.

[Rboitano]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

Alot of the Rawlings I have seen look just like that Olerud. Thats the way they are, nothing wrong with that.

[Number9]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

I am confused by this thread so I thought I would resurrect it.

I agree crooks sand stuff off bats and add numbers, etc., BUT I don't see it in these examples shown. What am I missing? The outside of the knob gets darker on many bats because that is how some players hold their bats, right? Some players have the outside of the knob in their palm so that makes that area darker right?

I don't see anything wrong with the Gibson or Olerud either. What am I missing?

Again, I agree sanding is a valid concern, just would like to educate myself as to what I am missing in this photos, if anything?

Thanks.

[Swoboda4]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

I started this thread because I've never seen a topic about this problem. In the Olerud there's sanding that occurred from bottom left(7 O'clock) to upper right (2 O'clock).The Gibson is not the clearest image. But I'm suggesting that we be aware of this situation when you consider G/U bats. I mentioned that there can be an occasion where the player sands down his bat end but the percentage of times that would occur I suggest,is low.
I seen this more than I should and if there's a legitimate reason a player would have it done(aside from what I mentioned)let me know. I am suspicious of G/U bats that are sanded at the top or bottom.
If someone can add to this please do,I feel the problem is legitimate. I beleive everyone who collects bats has at least one "sanded" bat that after it arrived raised an eyebrow. I clicked on e-bay just now,the $100-$200 range for a G/U bats and came up with this. Now,OK,-what's this all about? This comes from a seller that states they got it from the player. I'm going that this is legit,no other indications that this bat isn't good,then why does this sanding occur?

[Swoboda4]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

Imagine a G/U jersey that had the original label and tags removed and a new one put in its place,with all the work to remove it evident. There would be numerous threads forever disecting that situation. Now if there's a reason for this,and there might be,put this to rest.

[TNTtoys]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

I spoke to Robin Ventura who told me that Edgardo Alfonzo used his bats frequently,so there's that aspect. But stay away from "sanded Butt-heads"!!!

I would put Alfonzo in a different class; not really relevant to this thread. He didn't sand the bottom of the knob; he used to shave his handles before applying tape for grip. I guess he liked a thinner handle.

[kingjammy24]

Re: Why all the sanded bat ends?!

i'm still not seeing it on the olerud. maybe you can photoshop what you're seeing for me. what would be the point of sanding a 7-2 section? as i said, the ink has seeped into the knob stampings and the only ink in there correlates to the #9. i have no doubt that there are some knobs out there that are sanded after-the-fact in order to perpetrate fraud. in those cases, i don't know what more there is to discuss. someone took the bat of a star that was really used by a lesser player, sanded it down, and added the stars number. what more is there? i'm not seeing that on the olerud though and i'd think that on rawlings bats, you could see where ink has and has not seeped into the stampings. perhaps the abrasion you're seeing on some knobs isn't deliberate sanding but rather from months worth of players just grinding/rotating the knob against the ground while they're waiting in the dugout, during BP, etc.

rudy.