[71buc]

Summer of 2022 I asked for examples on how other members here display their game used bat collection. There were some very nice displays and many options to choose from. I couldn’t make a decision. My 1971 Pirates Game used bat collection is likely the centerpiece of my myopic collection. I really wanted to do something unique and perhaps even a bit classy. Unfortunately those two characteristics are very foreign to me which served to compounded my ambivalence. I enlisted the help of a friend who is a talented artist. She brought her father along. He happened to be a big baseball fan and wanted to check out my collection. She said he had some good ideas. He listened to us discuss different options while he swung a few bats off to the side.

He asked if I would allow him to design something for me gratis. She explained that he was a finisher. I had no idea what a finisher was. I asked him if he had ever completed a similar project before. He only said, “I’ve done a few things”. His only conditions were that I had to cover the cost of materials, promise to be patient, and and most importantly trust him. It took the better part of a year and it was certainly worth the wait.

He used African mahogany and a Japanese charred wood technique called Shou Sugi Ban. He created numbers to be mounted above each player’s bat in a style that pays homage to the 1973 #21 Clemente memorial patch worn by the Pirates. He separated the black backsplash from the bat knobs with a gold groove that can be used to display pin-backs, photos, cards, or tickets essentially making it a display shelf. The visible wood grain almost looks like tiger eye as it shimmers when the light hits it. He said he was shooting for a look that might have been similar to the area on a pirate ship used to tie down rigging. He used LED lighting to illuminate the bats at night. As a final touch he purchased a small tablet and downloaded Game 7 of the 1971 World Series. It fits perfectly in the grove. He said the sound and video serve to bring the bats to life.

I shared his work with my friends at the Clemente museum. They gifted me the 42”x16” photo of the 1971 Bucs that’s mounted above the rack.

It turns out this finisher’s other “similar” projects were a Weyerhaeuser board room and trophy rooms at UCLA. He also has work on display at the Smithsonian. I suppose his talents meet my standards LOL. I was blessed by his generosity and know I couldn’t afford to commission such a talented artist.