Game Used All-Star Game Bats
 

Saw this bat recently on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Johnny-Calli...item2edfb6e2f7

Wondering if these bats where given to players to commemorate the event or if they were the actual bats used in the game. This bat looks devoid of ball marks and other signs of ware. Callison only had 1 AB in the '62 AS game, but he did get a hit.

Just wondering opinions on if this was game used.

All Star Bats
 

I believe that this is a GU bat or at least a game issued bat. I know, back in the day, they were given bats for the AS game w/the inscription on the bat. I've seen a couple of Brooksie AS GU bats, but just couldn't afford them.

Both H&B and Adirondack supplied Bats for players in the AS game and World Series

I believe that back in those days each all-star player was issued 2 bats by his bat mfr. for use in the game. Also, for a short while, including 1962, there were 2 All-Star games each year.

My favorite player when I was growing up was Pete Runnels. My best Runnels item is this 1962 bat for the All-Star Game played at Wrigley Field. Although he wasn't a power hitter, Runnels had a pinch-hit homer in this game - who knows, maybe with this bat!
Val

very nice runnels bat! I had forgotten that there were 2 AS games that year, one in DC and one in Chicago. Shame Adirondack didn't label the cities like Louisville did to make I.D.ing the callison a bit easier.

As for how many bats the players where issued that year, it would seem to be at least 2, as I stumbled across another callison example from '62.

http://paragonauctionsite.com/1962-j...st-lot579.aspx

This one appears to have a lacquer of sorts on it. Has anyone seen that before? It certainly doesn't appear to be on the first bat?

Maybe the Callison bats were for game 1 and game 2, since he played in both All Star games in 1962.

Some players may have had more than one H&B All Star bat, but not necessarily. Looking at Koufax' shipping records, he only had one All Star bat in 1961, 1962, and 1966 (the only years I can say for sure) and for that matter, only one H&B World Series bat in 1955, 56, 59, 65 and 1966.

Granted, he was a pitcher, but these were basically presentation bats and he was certainly a star player.

How did you get ahold of shipping records for these type of things?

"A Complete Reference Guide Louisville Slugger Professional Player Bats" by Vince Malta. Fantastic book, every bat collector should have a copy. I refer to it all the time.