The knob looks perfect and the number “fading to red” is not a big concern. I have seen quite a few Mays Gamers where his “24” on the knob was applied in red marker. It is likely that the red ink faded or became too light, and was marketed over in black. The red visible underneath is actually a positive in my book.
I believe this to be a mid-late 1960s example, but others here can confirm that. I personally might remove the tape and repair the crack discretely, but that’s up to you. Restored cracks are not normally frowned upon in this segment of the hobby. Since Mays was not known to use grip tape, it’s not like you’re removing something original to the bat.
It would be a crime to remove an original tape job, like Griffey Jr’s criss-cross taped handle. But this tape is just a distraction that was not there when in Mays' possession. Hope this helps, and nice bat!
Last edited by perezfan; 05-09-2022 at 08:01 PM.
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