Willie Mays game used bat PURCHASED

[Bpm0014]

I’ll try to get more pictures, but but can somebody help me with this? A guy who comes into my store was friends with the Pittsburgh Pirates batboy. And loved Willie Mays. The batboy gave this to him after Willie Mays broke it in a game vs the Pirates. Can anyone help me out with approximate year, value, etc? I told him to get me some pics of the center brand and knob. Thanks!

[ooo-ribay]

I don’t think it’s a pro bat. What’s on the knob?

[Bpm0014]

I’ll get better pictures tonight. And I’m a t206 guy, not a post war guy. But there is no reason for this guy to lie. He wasn’t even aware it had value because he said it was cracked. He taped it up and had it in his basement for the last 30+ years. I’ll get better pictures tonight.

[Bpm0014]

The bottom is stamped M63 and has 24 written in marker. The 2 is pretty prominent and the 4 is fading away and almost turning a reddish color. Does this signify anything?

[perezfan]

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!

[Bpm0014]

Thanks Mark for the helpful information! The guy was born in 1956 and thinks he was about 9-12 when he received this. His best friend was the Pirates bat boy. His favorite player was Willie Mays. He never asked for the bat, but once it was broken the batboy grabbed it for his friend. He kept it his whole life thinking that because it was broken, it had no value. So the mid to late 60s assessment makes sense. Thanks again Mark!