Let’s start a game used bat thread.

[jason.1969]

Originally Posted by Vintagedeputy

Met Steve Garvey today to get my 1983-86 era gamer signed.

My childhood idol. Is there a player better with fans than Garv?!


Jason
Twitter: @heavyj28

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by jason.1969

My childhood idol. Is there a player better with fans than Garv?!

Good with the ladies, too.

[perezfan]

[QUOTE=jason.1969;2350999]My childhood idol. Is there a player better with fans than Garv?!

He was good... he waved to us from inside his car on the I-5 freeway after a Dodger game.

But Tony Gwynn was the nicest of any professional athlete I ever met. No ego, made great eye contact, respectful, told us endless stories, and signed a ton of stuff for free. Super friendly guy who passed way too soon.

[icollectDCsports]

[QUOTE=perezfan;2367789]

Originally Posted by jason.1969

My childhood idol. Is there a player better with fans than Garv?!

He was good... he waved to us from inside his car on the I-5 freeway after a Dodger game.

But Tony Gwynn was the nicest of any professional athlete I ever met. No ego, made great eye contact, respectful, told us endless stories, and signed a ton of stuff for free. Super friendly guy who passed way too soon.

And such an underappreciated star of the game, in my opinion.

[JMEnglish27]

[QUOTE=perezfan;2367789]

Originally Posted by jason.1969

My childhood idol. Is there a player better with fans than Garv?!

He was good... he waved to us from inside his car on the I-5 freeway after a Dodger game.

But Tony Gwynn was the nicest of any professional athlete I ever met. No ego, made great eye contact, respectful, told us endless stories, and signed a ton of stuff for free. Super friendly guy who passed way too soon.

Manager not player, but notable because I didn't even remotely expect it. Met Dick Williams at one of the A's reunions probably 15-20 years ago now. Gregarious as can be, telling stories, just fantastic.

Had an amazing experience with Don Drysdale when I was a kid, too, but it's well documented how kind he was.

[ooo-ribay]

Although most of your all-time, HOF type guys used H&B, LS or Adirondack, I love that there are now many companies producing MLB-quality bats - Marucci, Victus, Chandler, Dove Tail, Max, X, B45, Tucci, Birdman, etc. They make for an interesting display.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

Although most of your all-time, HOF type guys used H&B, LS or Adirondack, I love that there are now many companies producing MLB-quality bats - Marucci, Victus, Chandler, Dove Tail, Max, X, B45, Tucci, Birdman, etc. They make for an interesting display.

Agree... Collecting modern bats is more interesting with all of the upstart brands and newer companies competing for market share. Especially love the look of the two-tone Bats.... many of them are almost like works of art.

[ooo-ribay]

As I mentioned, I like the plethora of new bat companies approved by MLB. Marucci and Victus now make up nearly 50% of bats used in the major leagues. Louisville Slugger has fallen to 14.6%. Heere are some new Giants pickups:

Joe Panik - fan favorite and member of the 2014 WS team. All Star and Gold Glove winner with the Giants
Donovan Solano - hit .330 with the 2019 Giants; member of 107 win 2021 team; Silver Slugger in 2020
Matt Duffy - member of 2014 WS team; also known for his fat cat
Ryan Vogelsong - rescued off the scrap heap to go 27-16 in 2011-12; member of 2 WS teams; 3-0, sub 3.00 ERA in two posteasons.

[71buc]

Summer of 2022 I asked for examples on how other members here display their game used bat collection. There were some very nice displays and many options to choose from. I couldn’t make a decision. My 1971 Pirates Game used bat collection is likely the centerpiece of my myopic collection. I really wanted to do something unique and perhaps even a bit classy. Unfortunately those two characteristics are very foreign to me which served to compounded my ambivalence. I enlisted the help of a friend who is a talented artist. She brought her father along. He happened to be a big baseball fan and wanted to check out my collection. She said he had some good ideas. He listened to us discuss different options while he swung a few bats off to the side.

He asked if I would allow him to design something for me gratis. She explained that he was a finisher. I had no idea what a finisher was. I asked him if he had ever completed a similar project before. He only said, “I’ve done a few things”. His only conditions were that I had to cover the cost of materials, promise to be patient, and and most importantly trust him. It took the better part of a year and it was certainly worth the wait.

He used African mahogany and a Japanese charred wood technique called Shou Sugi Ban. He created numbers to be mounted above each player’s bat in a style that pays homage to the 1973 #21 Clemente memorial patch worn by the Pirates. He separated the black backsplash from the bat knobs with a gold groove that can be used to display pin-backs, photos, cards, or tickets essentially making it a display shelf. The visible wood grain almost looks like tiger eye as it shimmers when the light hits it. He said he was shooting for a look that might have been similar to the area on a pirate ship used to tie down rigging. He used LED lighting to illuminate the bats at night. As a final touch he purchased a small tablet and downloaded Game 7 of the 1971 World Series. It fits perfectly in the grove. He said the sound and video serve to bring the bats to life.

I shared his work with my friends at the Clemente museum. They gifted me the 42”x16” photo of the 1971 Bucs that’s mounted above the rack.

It turns out this finisher’s other “similar” projects were a Weyerhaeuser board room and trophy rooms at UCLA. He also has work on display at the Smithsonian. I suppose his talents meet my standards LOL. I was blessed by his generosity and know I couldn’t afford to commission such a talented artist.