Spalding Bat ?

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Posted By: Clint

Joe, that is definately a Spalding ring bat. Spalding bats were widely used during the time frame of your picture. Many pictures from this era show Spalding bats in them. Spalding along with Wright and Ditson, Peck and Snyder as well as Reach were some of the leading manufacturers of bats in the 1880-1890 time frame. Most of these were eventually bought out by Spalding but continued to manufacture under the same names. There were other bat makers as well but these were the top ones.

The quantity available for bats per team would vary depending on how well funded they were. I have correspondence where a team would hold a game and the proceeds would go towards buying a bat and ball. Players on professional teams probably had their own bats.

Here's a picture of a bat like the one in your photograph.