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MWHere's the link to the original Mastro FSA auction listing for the Ichiro "opening night" bat:
http://catalog.mastronet.com/catalog_lot_information.cfm?lot=19621
(1) If Mastro Fine Sports Auctions can’t remember the last time a verifiable "first at-bat" bat of a superstar of Ichiro’s magnitude has come up for auction, then it must be a pretty special occasion. Hopefully, one that is important enough to make sure all the puzzle pieces fit. Well, actually just one puzzle piece -- the one indicating the player in question actually USED the bat.
(2) In its description of Ichiro’s first game, the only detail left out is how much dirt Ichiro had on his uniform when he was done playing. If a videotape of the game was not viewed by Mastro FSA before this auction lot was offered, then how were all the details composed? From a boxscore?
(3) According to the description of Ichiro’s "first" bat by Mastro FSA, it appears that both the bat AND the signature were authenticated. Was Mastro FSA wrong on both accounts or was Ichiro confused as he signed the wrong bat. Was the word "gamer" written by someone other than Ichiro? Was the rest of the notation (Oakland A’s O.Night) added after or before Ichiro signed the bat? Could Ichiro both read and write English at the beginning of the season? Is this the standard way "game" bats are marked? Is all the writing on the bat a complete forgery? If so, who’s the culprit? Could the same thing have been done with a Mizuno bat that WASN’T used on opening night? Now I’m confused too.
(4) Just who is this mysterious "clubhouse" member? Has he consigned or delivered or corroborated stories for other auction memorabilia?
(5) What does the word "impeccable" mean? Does it mean the same thing every time Mastro FSA uses it?
(6) Just whose bat is it? Does anyone on the Mariners use a 34", 30 oz. TPX M110 Louisville Slugger Pro Stock model bat? Maybe by the end of the season, Ichiro really was out of Mizuno bats and had to use a Louisville Slugger instead. Could it be that this was the bat that Ichiro used for his very last (242nd) hit of the season? Could be! I smell a future auction lot.