I am an apprentice auctioneer in Ohio and came across this forum while researching a baseball bat that our firm recently discovered while preparing for a live auction. The auction will be taking place on Thursday, December 28th in Troy, Ohio, starting at 9:30 am.
The bat is a Louisville Slugger catalog number 40K with the "Kork Grip" handle bearing the facsimile signature of Napoleon Lajoie. Judging from the patent date and the barrel stamp, it dates to circa 1915. It measures 34" in length and weighs 39 ounces.
The bat is in remarkable condition, and the cork handle is nearly 100% present. There is a lacquer finish that may or may not have been original to the bat, but it appears to have been applied very early in the life of the bat. Some of this darker finish has been lightly scraped off the cork handle, which shows as light marks. The most glaring condition issue is that at some point, a hole was drilled in the handle end of the bat to accommodate a leather strap. This appears to have been an early modification, based on the condition of the leather.
I have posted several pictures (which I have attached here) on our company Facebook page, Jerry Stichter Auctioneer. The bat is listed in our AuctionZip ad, which you can link to here:
https://goo.gl/7G3iuj
If you have any questions about the bat or the upcoming auction, I will be checking this forum as well as our Facebook page. You can also contact our company using the information provided in our AuctionZip listing.