Baseball Related Questions

In an effort to help you resolve your Baseball Memorabilia question the most commonly asked questions will be posted. Before searching for your question check to see if your Item in question has already been cataloged in the KeyMan Collectibles database of information by clicking a category on the Left column of this page.

Below is a list of commonly asked questions. If you cannot find your question listed then click the help Link provided at the bottom of this page. KeyMan will do his best to answer your question as soon as possible. You may also use the Google search box provided at the top of each page to assist you in your query.


	How Old is my Louisville slugger baseball bat? . How Old is my Adirondack baseball bat? . What does "Powrized" mean on my Baseball Bat? . I have a black 1961 World Series Bat with all the Yankees Signatures what is is worth? . Do I have a game used or store model bat? . My bat reads "Flame Tempered" instead of "Powerized" what's the difference? . How do you find the value of an old wooden bat made by JF Hillerich and Son? . What year is my Bat Day Stadium giveaway baseball bat from?


	How Old is my Louisville slugger baseball bat? Hillerich & Bradsby Co. Louisville Slugger has used different oval center brands in their history. By identifying the center label, trade marks, and patens you can narrow down the year to what era the bat was made. Visit the LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BAT DATING guide located on this website. You can match the markings on your bat with the easy to use bat dating chart to get an approximate date for your Louisville Slugger bat.
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	How Old is my Adirondack baseball bat? Adirondack / Rawlings has used different center brands in their history. By identifying the center label, trade marks, and patens you can narrow down the year to what era the bat was made. Visit the ADIRONDACK RAWLINGS BAT DATING guide located on this website. You can match the markings on your bat with the easy to use bat dating chart to get an approximate date for your Adirondack bat.
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	What does "Powrized" mean on my Baseball Bat? The "Powerized" process was patented by the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. in 1931 and has pat. pending beneath the stamp. They introduced the "Powerized and Bone Rubbed" logo for the 1932 season and in 1933 and 1934 you will see it stamped "Powerized and Oil Tempered" which usually is a very light heat foil type print. Beginning in 1935 until present, they go with just "Powerized" The Powerized" process is to harden the surface of the bat much like the bone rubbed finish of the 1920's
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	I have a black 1961 World Series Bat with all the Yankees Signatures what is is worth? The bat you have is referred to as a World series "Black Bat" They were given to participating players, and dignitaries from teams in the world series. They have facsimile signatures of the entire team in gold on a dark black ebony bat. Names in script for Hillerich & Bradsby endorsees and block letter for non endorsed players. "Black Bats" are highly sought after in excellent to near mint condition. Any grade lower will devalue the price considerably. A 1961 New York Yankees Black Bat is worth about $1,200.-$1,500.
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	Do I have a game used or store model bat? With Louisville slugger, and Adirondack bats in short, if your bat has the size stamped into the knob it is a store model bat. This is placed there to help the buyer identify the size of the bat. Examples of this would be number like; 6, 06 036, 36, MM6, PR6. These marking will indicate a 36 inch bat. When letters proceed the number like MM6 or PR6 it is indicating the player model initials followed by the size, In this case MM6 Mickey Mantle 36 inch, and PR6 Pete Rose 36 inch. Game used, and Professional model bats are two different animals. A game used bat would have to come with the proper paper work, or a letter of provenance showing the chain of custody from the player that used the bat to the person that currently owns the bat. Without this you just have a pro model bat. It would otherwise be difficult to prove that the bat was actually used by the player. Adirondack Professional model bats will typically have the model number on the knob followed by a Letter. for example Hank Aaron used a 63 A, Mickey Mantle used a 288 D. Louisville slugger began using model numbers on the knob in 1943 then moving the model number to the barrel in 1977. For example a K55 Mickey Mantle pro model would have K55 on the knob as opposed to the store model bat with K55 appearing on the barrel. Dating the bat could be important. For aide in dating your bat visit the following page of this site: LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BAT DATING
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	My bat reads "Flame Tempered" instead of "Powerized" what's the difference? Flame Tempered is a process of drying and hardening the wood with lower grade baseball bats. If your bat reads "Flame tempered it is a store model bat. "Powerized" is used on higher grade bats, and professional models. The "Powerized" process was patented by the Hillerich & Bradsby Co. in 1931 and has pat. pending beneath the stamp. They introduced the "Powerized and Bone Rubbed" logo for the 1932 season and in 1933 and 1934 you will see it stamped "Powerized and Oil Tempered" which usually is a very light heat foil type print. Beginning in 1935 until present, they go with just "Powerized" The Powerized" process is to harden the surface of the bat much like the bone rubbed finish of the 1920's
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	How do you find the value of an old wooden bat made by JF Hillerich and Son? If your bat reads J.F. HILLERERICH & SON in the center brand as you state It would be dated before 1916, and will be a very nice collectible. In 1916 Louisville Slugger started to use HILLERERICH & BRADSBY Co in their center brand. If it reads "Trade mark" below the oval as opposed to "TRADE MARK REG US PAT OFF" it could be dated to the 1897 - 1911 time period. In 1905 Honus Wagner, a star for the Pittsburgh Pirates, signed a contract with Hillerich & Bradsby co. and became the first player ever to endorse a bat. If the bat has a player endorsement it would be dated after 1905. The bat, if a store model could still be worth hundreds. A game used or pro bat could be worth thousands. To help you put a value on your bat I would need more information. For more help on dating your bat visit the following page of this website: LOUISVILLE SLUGGER BAT DATING
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	What year is my Bat Day Stadium giveaway baseball bat from? Key features in determining the age of the "Bat Day" baseball bats from the 1960s through the early to mid 1970s are variations on the barrel such as players name; script or block, Team name; script or block, the order the team name, the players name, and approved little league appears on the barrel as well as center brand variations which include Pro atop of the center brand (on all labels) H&B appears on the first labels, then Hillerich & Bradsby co. Made in USA, and Made in Canada on bats made in 1969, and 1970. Some years have the same markings as other years, and by using the players name, and the years they played for the club you might be able to narrow it down. This is not an exact science in that some teams may have not used player names in a particular year making it difficult to date. Team Logos could help in dating. Corporate sponsorship logos such as Berger King appear on bats made around 1977, and can also help in the aid of dating bats. The following page of this website contains a chart to help you date your "Bat Day" Baseball bat. http://keymancollectibles.com/batdaybatdating.htm
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