Harry Hoch 1916 bat should it be refinished
 

You may have seen I had posted several early bats for trade in BST. Well I got no action. Several of these bats had been packed away including this Louisville Slugger Hoch model. Harry Hoch played. Only a few years was a pitcher and had some at bats 1913-15. This bat has 1916 labeling. I have had the bat for many years and just thought it could go as I have too many bats. One of the main reason is I don’t like the dark finish. Got looking at it closer and it seems it has some paper label on it and under that it has the nice bright finish I like. Apparently it’s not worth much so I think I’ll just keep it. I have two questions would it be a crime if I refinished it to the bright color and secondly does anyone know what this paper label might have been?

bat
 

If your bat has MADE IN USA on the center label--it is from circa 1922 and not earlier. (hard to see). Likely a minor league bat or perhaps for another player with the same name....I see he played 3 years in the majors...but not after 1915. I am guessing this has to be a minor league bat of some type...minimal value...not going to destroy anything major and perhaps you want to make it more the way you like it..
DAVE

Thanks I was going by Bradsby being added in 1916. I’ve had this bat for over twenty years so I am not sure I remember the details of when I got it but I do remember I got with another similar bat with same style name of an obscure major league player which I guess could have been a minor leaguer too. I don’t collect bats specifically and was surprised I had over 20 when I rounded them all up. I guess it’s still almost 100 years old so I’ll keep it.

It’s your bat, so you should do whatever you want.

Send it to Matt for a cleaning

The bat definitely has a vintage look. Personally, I wouldn't do anything with it. But if I were you, and if I thought the bat fit into my collection, and if I could imagine it looking better, then I'd refinish it (except that the mailing label is very cool, in my opinion).

It is definitely darker than my keepers and actually darker than my “extras”. I probably should just send it down the road for whatever I can get. On the other hand I currently don’t have a place to display them so they will all just be stacked in a corner.