Is this a very old bat, or an old handle of some sorts??

[MGHPro]

It's similar to the mass style bat but most likely a railroad brake handle . Sometimes initials of the railroad are faintly stamped into the wood. These do however,certainly get sold as mass bats
Matt

[baseball tourist]

At 28 inches long, is it too short for a Mass bat?

[perezfan]

I think that length was pretty typical for those, as they were far smaller than standard baseball bats. Hunt Auctions has had a few quite similar to this, if you have the patience to scour their “completed auctions”.

[btjossem]

I've got two very similar to this that I bought for my brother the baseball bat guy. He is still torn between baseball bat or something else
similar knob, similar oval shape
I'm not sure what the length of his are. He's out of town but will ask him when he returns on Monday.
I took a chance when I purchase them, because it looked like baseball bats to me.

If you run out of ideas or motivation to look further and prove, let me know what you want to sell it for and I will react
please PM me
Bruce
Minneapolis