Help with a... Baseball bat???
 

Picked this up today at a flea market... Not sure if it is a bat, but the seller seemed to think so... For $10 I felt it was worth the gamble...

Measures roughly 35.75" the handle Is a perfect fit for my hand... No markings, but you can see marks on the wood where it was turned

Is this a bat? If so from what era?

Many thanks!
Dave

Photo 2
 

Photo 2

Looks like one to me and worth way more than $10.00

is it holow all the way through/ how far

Bat
 

So I just stuck a screwdriver in the hole and it loosened some "junk" up, but it looks like the hole is about 2.5" deep

I am defiantly not a bat expert but I wonder if it's possibly a crude fungo bat? You can tell from the markings around the hole that the lathe it was turned on was probably not a machine that was designed for mass production.
Just a stab in the dark. When you hold it in one hand is it balanced so it is easily swung with only one hand? A regular bat is typically thicker toward the end to transfer power to the sweet spot.
Drew

Dave - how long is the section between the knob and the double rings? Can you comfortably wrap both your hands around it there?

Bat
 

So it definitely tapers down from top to bottom. It's roughly 31" from the top of the barrel to the top of one of the rings... It feels pretty well weighted, and can swing comfortably with both hands above the rings, but feels a little more natural with one hand below the rings and one above.

I appreciate the help guys

Dave,
Any impressions on the barrel? Ball marks or anything else? Part of me thinks it might be an old rug beater especially if it holds and swings easily with one hand. I sure hope not. Would be really cool as a old bat of some type. Great piece for a 10 spot and couldn't have happened to a better guy on the boards.
Drew

What is the it's weight and barrel diameter?

John

Bat
 

Thanks for the kind words drew!

This thing is weighted well enough to be swung, but not so light that I could move it comfortably with one arm. The barrel is 2.25" across, but I don't have a scale to weigh it (will bring it to the office tomorrow to weigh it).

Any ideas as to how old this thing may be?

Found this photo online. Looks like the second knob was a way to choke up on the bat while still being able to put your wrist on the knob. The author stated that Wright and Ditson manufactured the bat for Nap Lajoie. Turns out a company called Phoenix bats still makes them. I'm not sure how to help on dating the bat, but since the style never really caught on, it makes me think someone made it at home close to when Lajoie was playing. 1920 or early maybe? Just a guess though.

Here's the link to the blog article where I got the info: http://www.blinddogpix.com/bat/baseball.htm

Dave,
You may have to go back and see that guy and give him another $10 so you can sleep at night.

https://books.google.com/books?id=ce...%20bat&f=false

A part of a book that has a paragraph on the Lajoie type of bat. It was used to help choke hitters have more control. Never really caught on. The time period of the articles mentioned is the first few years of the 1900's. I have not seen another with the double ring like this. Also, the ones I have seen are made by Wright and Ditson and have Lajoie's name engraved on them. Perhaps this is a knock off?

Super cool item that reminds me I need to go to more flea markets! Congrats on the find.

Tom C

Looks a lot like this one:

http://www.cooperstownbat.com/index....l-replica.html

Or as mentioned the Lajoie

http://www.cooperstownbat.com/index....l-replica.html

Thanks. Definitely has the same shape, but the one I have is a little longer And carries no Markings whatsoever.. I think it's either a homemade jobber or a leg to a barstool for a really tall patron!.

Dave,

Given that it is around 35" long and you say it is heavy enough not to be comfortably swung with one hand, I'd say you have a nice bat on your hands, almost surely home made, early 1900's. Super rare find for $10 (or any amount). I'll be glad to double your money :-)

John