Bat questions

[Archive]

Posted By: Alan Elefson

Hi-
I just purchased a small group of bats at a local auction that included the two bats scanned below that I have questions about (the rest of the bats were junk, and these might be too, but for the price I paid, I couldn't pass them up). The first one scanned is a Louislville Slugger 40 T.C. Hillerich & Bradsby CO bat with no signature or decal on the barrel. Is it a Ty Cobb store model bat? If so, does anyone know the approximate age? Is it a decal bat (obviously completely missing the decal, although there does appear to be some greenish paint residue on the barrel) or signature model? I will try to take better pictures tomorrow or Monday but hopefully someone can help from these scans. It is about 35 inches long and there is nothing stamped on the knob.
The second bat is even more of a mystery to me. It is a Louislville Slugger 125 Hillerich & Bradsby Powerized signature model featuring Tom Casagrande(?). When I googled Tom, his 1955 Topps card came up (the front shows he was a pitcher for the Phillies) but I could not find him on Baseball reference.com in either the major or minor league indeces. Does anyone know if he ever played in the majors or if I am reading the name correctly? It is about 36 inches long and D 89 is stamped on the knob.
Thank you very much to everyone who helped me with previous questions on this board! The knowledge willingly shared here is incredible. Any further information concerning either of these bats would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: Mike H

Looks like a Cobb decal from the teens you have there. Obviously, it saw a lot of use and the decal is gone, but still a nice piece.

The second is definately a gamer, but without the center brand, I can't date it accurately. I couldn't find any info on this player either.

Way to go on your purchases Alan.

[Archive]

Posted By: John Harrell

Alan,

Your Cobb bat is a decal bat from the 20's, based on the label. Casagrande is one of a few players who had a Topps card issued without ever playing in the majors. It may be a gamer but it wasn't used in a major league game.

John

[Archive]

Posted By: Alan Elefson

Thanks Mike and John! I figured Casagrande must never have played in the majors, and I was trying to figure out why there would be a store model bat for him, but your responses make sense. It might have never been used in a game, but was most likely ordered for him in the minors.
I am also very glad to hear about the Cobb. I purchased these and a few other smaller bats in a lot at a local auction yesterday evening, but I had to make a deal in order to acquire them at a somewhat reasonable cost. When I arrived at the auction for preview, I spotted a friend/competitor looking at the bats and we struck a deal that I hope not to regret. He agreed not to bid against me in return for two of the bats in the lot. Both were either Spaulding or Louisville signature models signature models (I forget which) and one was Hornsby (with a good chunk of the barrel missing but a readable name) and the other we could not read. To do this deal we decided on about a 60/40 split as he wanted the TC bat more than any other (like I did). I was torn as I could have had the other two bats instead, but I stuck with the Cobb and the remainder of the lot. I asked the auction house to place the lot up early because of the weather, and to my astonishment I won the lot for 20.00! Because I won the lost so cheaply, he ended up paying half of what I paid to the auction, so I got the Cobb, Casagrande, an Eddie Matthews Little League Bat plus a small early Superiuor label bat for about 12.00. I was pretty happy although I am curious as to what others might have done in that situation. Obviously, seeing the Hornsby and the other player bat would help, but please let me know what you would have done in my place. He and I probably would have bid each other up over 100.00 for the lot if we did not work together.
Thanks again,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: Jimmy

I agree 1920s store model decal bat,

Jimmy

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

What you and your buddy did is technically illegal (collusion) even though it happens all the time at estate auctions...I used to make deals like that all the time, but by now most around here know me and what I collect and I've just become friends with them and they don't bid me up...for the most part. It's just sort of an unspoken agreement...I don't bid against them and they don't bid against me. Doesn't always work that way though as sometime you and your pal just want the same thing bad enough.

As far as price goes you did well...I had a TC40 bat without the decal that I sold for $150 a few years back...and the minor league bat could be of interest to someone who collects items from the teams he played for. He played a lot of Triple A ball.

[Archive]

Posted By: Alan Elefson

Dan-
I completely realize what we did was collusion, and it certainly happens much more frequently in non live auctions. Without it, the price of the lot might have been more than 100 dollars (we were both prepared to go fairly high on it). Not that that is an excuse as it is still illegal! In our defense (not that it is much of an excuse) we thought there would be other folks bidding against us and we were shocked the lot went as cheaply as it did.
It is a tough game to play when you spot a competitor in the room viewing the same lot you are interested in. I would have loved to win the entire lot, but it seemed clear we would bid ouselves up to much closer to the retail value. Legally, we should have bid against eachother until one of us won, but this way we both went home with something! I also realize I should not be bragging about it on a public forum (with my name attached no less), but it is a fairly common practice at least in the antique estatate auctions I frequent.
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

I hear ya Alan...it goes on all the time and I've partaken myself. You can either kill each other on a lot or both go home happy. My brother's philosophy was if a guy kills you on a lot then you kill him on the next lot even if you don't want it...sooner or later he's going to give up.

[Archive]

Posted By: Alan Elefson

Dan-
Your brother has an interesting strategy! It is always one of my least favorite feelings to see a knowledgeable collector/dealer at an antique auction as I realize I will not be walking away with any significant "deals". At least at flea markets, you have a chance of getting to a table first or digging out something your competitior does not notice. At auctions, usually the deepest pockets win (much better for the consignor).
One last quick question to ask the board. What type of handle is on the Cobb store model? It is not like the knobs I have had on previous bats, except oddly enough on a Joe Torre Adirondack bat that I found at a flea market a few months ago. Thanks again for everyone's help with these bats!
Thanks,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com

[Archive]

Posted By: Bob M

Casagrande played in the minors 1951-57. If he had a Topps card, he was probably up for spring training in 1954, but played in the AA that year. Never played in the Majors.