The Batting Cage: Collecting World Series and All Star Game Bats

By John Taube and Vince Malta

Bats that have actually been used in World Series and All Star Games are among the most sought after treasures by game-used bat collectors. Combining rarity and unique barrel stamping, these mid-summer and fall classic bats, represent milestones in the history of baseball, as well as in the individual player's career.

While many of these specially made bats are personally kept by the players, or presented as gifts to teammates, family members and friends, others are actually used during the All Star Game and World Series. Documenting the provenance of the bats that were actually used is a challenge and authenticated All Star and World Series game-used bats are few and far between.

As for the "holy grails" of this genre of the hobby, Mickey Mantle's 1958 and 1964 World Series bats, Stan Musial's 1955 All Star Game Bat, and the lumber Jackie Robinson swung in the 1949 All Star Game, are some of the most desired pieces of wood known to exist.

In this month's column, we will take a look at bats used in these "Big Games", discuss their history, and give you a better understanding of the application of our grading standards to these magnificent items of baseball memorabilia.

The earliest reference we can find in the Louisville Slugger records for World Series bats is 1928 and records of All Star Game bats first appeared in the 1930's. Bats used in these games were not barrel stamped with "All Star Game" until 1949, while the first "World Series" stamping appeared in 1950.

Until recently, players of World Series and All Star teams would receive one or two bats that were made specifically for them for those games. It's our opinion that those bats were produced by H&B to acknowledge various player achievements. The models that were made for the players were generally the same as the ones as the player ordered during the last regular season. An exception to that was with pitchers, who had no personal bat records. In these cases, "stock" models such as the K55 and M110 were produced.

Louisville Slugger made player model bats for World Series use until 1975. The following year, all bats made for the World Series were pro stock models that were 34 inches in length and carried no model numbers. Some of these bats have clearly been used. We have seen bats made for Doc Ellis and Cliff Johnson that show definite use, but the vast majority did not see use during or after the World Series. Louisville Slugger continued making pro stock models for the World Series into the mid 1980's.

In 1989, in an effort to promote the company, Louisville Slugger produced bats for the All Star Game and World Series with "Louisville" printed boldly in large type on the back barrel. When a player stepped into the batters box, Louisville Slugger made sure the national television audience had no question as to what manufacturer's bat the player was using. That came to an end following the 1989 season. In an effort to eliminate the exploitation of players and the free advertising and marketing the bat manufacturers were receiving, Major League Baseball established limits as to the size of the barrel stamping allowed on Major League bats. From 1989, and continuing through today, All Star and World Series bats are exclusively player model bats.

As for the Adirondack/Rawlings bats, which first appeared in the 1953 All Star Game and 1952 World Series, there are important things to know. The 1952 World Series bats did not carry the player's name stamped on the barrel. The only stamping read: "1952 World Series". Adirondack bats with the player's name on the barrel first appeared in 1955 and Adirondack/Rawlings has consistently produced player model bats from 1953 to present. Additionally, they have also produced non-game-used bats for the player's own promotional use. These bats are easily identified by the lack of any model number, order number, year code, or game code such as "AS"; "ASG"; "AL"; "NL"; "WS", etc. On occasion, they will also feature a special brand or decal that commemorates the event.

When grading All Star and World Series bats, special consideration must be applied to the amount of use that is present. For example, what would you consider to be a perfect PSA GU 10 All Star Game bat - a bat with considerable use and excellent player characteristics, or a bat with a ball mark or two with excellent player characteristics? Most collectors would say the latter. Understandably, an All Star Game bat, if game-used, may be carried to the plate four times during the mid-summer classic. During those four appearances, how many times did the bat contact the ball? With this in mind, the perfect All Star bat would have light use, display identifiable player characteristics, and preferably, documentation that can place the bat in the hands of the player during the game.

A bat that we would consider to be the ideal All Star offering would be Johnny Bench's 1976 Bicentennial bat. The bat is stamped "1976 All Star Game Philadelphia". There are two well-defined ball marks on the barrel, as well as a few red bat rack streaks from the bat racks at Veterans Stadium. There is also a light coat of pine tar on the handle, and Bench's number "5" on the knob in black marker. It is characteristics such as these that make this the perfect PSA GU 10.

Now consider this, if that same bat were to show heavy use, which would imply that it had been game-used after the All Star Game, should the grade be lowered because we can't determine if the bat has All Star Game use? Should we determine it to be a regular season gamer? These are questions we will pose to you. Let us know what you think by e-mailing us at dlaurell@aol.com and we'll address your opinions and give you ours in next month's issue.

World Series bats are graded using the same thought process. Of course, since we are considering the bats use in a four to seven game series, the amount of use can vary from light to fairly heavy, to qualify for what we consider being exclusive World Series use. Again, many World Series bats will exhibit so much use it is obvious that they were packed up after the series and unpacked at the beginning of spring training the following year. We'll ask for your input again. How would you grade a World Series bat if you knew the bat had been used in a regular season game the following season?

A perfect example of a game-used World Series bat is Mickey Mantle's 1964 Hillerich & Bradsby model M110, World Series bat. The bat exhibits excellent Mantle use characteristics evidenced by his classic pine tar application and deeply embedded stitch marks on both sides of the barrel. The bat has several prominent blue bat rack streaks from the Yankee Stadium dugout and red bat rack streaks from the St. Louis Cardinals Sportsman Park visitor's dugout.

Overall, the bat shows medium use, which we consider to be perfect, based on the 28 plate appearances Mantle made in that Series. We have viewed game films from the 1964 World Series, and have little doubt that this is in fact the bat used by Mantle to break Babe Ruth's World Series record of 15 home runs and establish the new record of 18 World Series homers. In our opinion, this bat was used exclusively during the 1964 World Series and in no other game.

Today, most of the bats used in postseason play are regular season gamers. We have authenticated several regular season gamers that have clear World Series use. If you'll note in the photos of the Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams bats pictured in this column, you will see that both have vivid gold ink transfers on the barrel. Both of these bats were used during the 2000 "Subway Series" between the Yankees and the Mets. The 2000 World Series baseballs were printed with gold ink.

Additionally, the Rawlings Williams bat has the order number "894" stamped into the knob. The high order number indicates the bat was made in late September just before the post season. Both of these bats, if presented for authentication and grading, would be considered as a regular season gamer. Special mention could only be made to their use in the World Series if a solid letter of provenance accompanied these bats. With the presence of such documentation, both of these bats would receive high grades due to the perfect player characteristics and amount of use that is present.

If you enjoy collecting game used bats, we highly recommend that you consider making room for an All Star Game or World Series bat. Their rarity makes collecting them a real challenge, and their unique barrel brands sets them apart from any other player model bats. Most importantly, our advice as always, is to Have Fun!!!

John Taube is the owner of J.T. Sports. With well over two decades of experience, his expertise on physical attributes of game-used bats and dating have pinned him as one of the world's leading experts in bat authentication and grading. Working in conjunction with Vince Malta, Taube has an ongoing commitment to expand the existing knowledge of game-used bats. With over 35 years of combined expertise, bat experts Taube and Malta are the formidable team for PSA/DNA's game-used bat authentication service. Their reputation and integrity is second to none in the hobby. The duo exhibits strong attention to detail, expertise with labeling variations and insight to restoration. Most importantly, both share a commitment to provide the hobby by adhering to the most standardized and recognized game-used bat evaluation criteria.

You can contact John and Vince in regard to column ideas, suggestions and questions by e-mailing them at: dlaurell@aol.com. For information specifically on having bats authenticated or graded by John and Vince log on to www.psadna.com and click on "Professional Bat Authentication".

Bats Not Appearing in Factory Records and Game-Used Promos - Do They Make the Grade?

By John Taube and Vince Malta

Whether you're a seasoned game-used bat collector, or just getting started in the genre, you have undoubtedly come across a bat that appears to have been actually used by a professional player in a game, but turns out to be a promo bat, or a bat without any record of order. Over the years, we have seen many bat collectors submit bats for authentication, and then be shocked to learn that what they have is what we call a promotional or promo model bat. These bats were made for promotional purposes, or for the player's use outside the game.

Generally, these bats are the same models that players use during their career, but may not have been used during the labeling period of the bat in question. It could also be a model that, while having been used by a player, has never really been used in a Major League game. When we peruse the player's Professional Bat Ordering Record (BPOR) we find notes that explain bats such as these were made for a "retail concern" or are simply listed as: "Baseball Miscellaneous".

To give you some history on these bats, beginning in the mid-1990's, Louisville Slugger began producing player model bats without the model number stamped on the barrel. These bats were manufactured to the exact specifications of the model regularly being used by the player. On occasion, these bats have actually found their way into play in Major League games. In this month's column, we'll take a look at a few examples of these game-used promotional bats and discuss their grading - which can be confusing, after all, if the bat was in fact game-used by a player, and it has excellent player characteristics, consideration must be given, even if the bat would usually not grade better than a PSA GU 3 because it is a promo bat, or does not match up with factory records.

We'll start with two bats that have very distinct characteristics and have been unquestionably game-used by Houston Astros' second baseman Craig Biggio. You will notice by looking at the photos of Biggio's bats included here, that they are heavily taped and covered with pine tar. Biggio's bats, which are very popular with collectors, will generally have his number "7" on the knob and top barrel. As you can also see in these photos, these two bats, which are promo bats, hold no model numbers although they have been game-used by Biggio.

When it comes to authenticating bats that Biggio has actually stepped into the batter's box with, we would first look for the model number "H176" on the barrel. A bat like that would, without question, grade a PSA GU 10. That is because the bat would match factory ordering records, exhibit at least medium use, and possess perfect player characteristics. A bat that does not have that number, or that lacks PBOR, despite its provenance, would technically not meet our criteria, which means, it would grade no higher than PSA GU 3.

Another example is the pictured Johnny Bench model A99 1976 Bicentennial bat. While the length and weight of this example is perfect, and an order for A99's does appear on Bench's PBOR in 1976, the order notes call for "Hickory finish, cupped end", both of which are absent from the bat. Again, the bat has what we would consider to have perfect player use characteristics. Pine tar application and the style of Bench's "5" on the knob are perfect.

Additionally, there is red bat rack paint on the top barrel, sides of the knob, and in the pine tar, indicating to us that the bat has been in and out of the Reds bat rack at Three Rivers Stadium. We should note that a handle crack on the bat has been repaired, that does affect the original pine tar. However, a close examination of the repaired area does reveal that the original pine tar extended more than 12-inches from the knob up the handle, which again, is perfect for Bench. This particular bat, which was offered on eBay, generated several calls to us for an opinion and, although it is a great gamer, due to the fact that it did not match with the PBOR order notes, we would only rate it as a PSA GU 3.

It is examples such as these that have caused us to re-evaluate the grading criteria for promotional model and "phantom" bats. Though rare, as evidenced by the Biggio and Bench bats, it is also clear that these bats are at times being used in games, and therefore must be graded as gamers.

Other bats not appearing on the players PBOR at Louisville Slugger that must be considered are All Star Game bats and World Series bats. Let's take the 1977 season as an example. A review of PBOR's for eight players from both the National League and American League All Star teams reveals that none have All Star Game bats noted as being shipped to them in 1977.

Among the players PBOR's that we reviewed were those of Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and George Brett. The Rose and Brett All Star Game bats have both appeared in major auctions within the last 18 months, and the Reggie Jackson bat, which is pictured here, resides in a private collection in Florida. We mention these bats because all three are accepted as being authentically game-used. However, by applying our standard grading criteria, all three bats would only receive a grade of PSA GU 3 because none appear on the players PBOR.

According to Louisville Slugger, World Series bats ceased to exist in 1975. Since then, there are no written notations that refer to World Series lumber. Assumptions for that can be made, based on order dates and model numbers, but we all know what can happen when one assumes too much. World Series bats that were produced for players from 1975 to 1988 were never intended for game-use. These bats are lacking model numbers and do not usually match the model the player would have been actually using.

This trend changed in 1989, when Louisville Slugger began making player model All Star Game and World Series bats with the large "Louisville" stamped on the back barrel. Since that time, player model bats with the year and "World Series" have been produced, but not noted on the players' PBOR. Pictured is an example of these contemporary World Series bats. All are in fact game-used, and while each possess excellent player characteristics, if we were to apply our grading standards literally, they would again, receive a grade no higher than PSA GU 3, which would be unfair.

Clearly, I think we can all agree by looking at the examples shown in this month's column, that exceptions to the rule must be applied. At the end of the day, we feel that use characteristics will always factor heavily into the authentication and grading of these "phantom" gamers that have no PBOR. Absence of an ordering record will, however, prohibit a "phantom" bat from ever getting a grade higher than PSA 7. World Series bats and All Star Game bats will be authenticated and graded based on our existing grading criteria. We believe the absence of a notation on the players ordering record does not detract from the authenticity of the bat, especially when we are considering bats made after 1975. Since that time, the absence of the record is the norm rather than the exception.

As you can see, authentication of game-used bats can be complicated and must only be done by those who are extremely well-versed in what they are doing. It is what we do every day, and we are committed to doing all we can to strengthen the genre of game-used bat collecting and assist collectors in making sure they get exactly what they believe they are getting.

John Taube is the owner of J.T. Sports. With well over two decades of experience, his expertise on physical attributes of game-used bats and dating have pinned him as one of the world's leading experts in bat authentication and grading. Working in conjunction with Vince Malta, Taube has an ongoing commitment to expand the existing knowledge of game-used bats. With over 35 years of combined expertise, bat experts Taube and Malta are the formidable team for PSA/DNA's game-used bat authentication service. Their reputation and integrity is second to none in the hobby. The duo exhibits strong attention to detail, expertise with labeling variations and insight to restoration. Most importantly, both share a commitment to provide the hobby by adhering to the most standardized and recognized game-used bat evaluation criteria.

The Objective Subjectivity of Grading

By John Taube and Vince Malta

When it comes to grading game-used bats, the most frequent concern we hear from collectors is that the grading process is too subjective. In response to that concern we thought it would be helpful to offer the following review of our grading criteria. By providing this information it is our hope that collectors will have a better understanding of the tremendous effort we employ to be as objective as possible in determining the final grade on a game-used bat. We will also cover the PSA/DNA grading/authentication process, and what efforts we make to remove anysubjectivity.

We believe our grading criteria is a balanced process, based on authenticity, the amount of visible use, and the number of identifiable player characteristics that establish the likelihood the bat was indeed used by the named player. It is also important for collectors to understand that rarity has little if any bearing on the grade a bat earns.

For matters of discussion, lets look at PSA's grades 5 through 10 and consider the levels of use associated with each grade. We'll then talk about what we consider to be no-use, game-ready, light to medium-use, medium to heavy-use and heavy-use. Provenance, as outlined in the grading criteria, is self-explanatory.

PSA/DNA BAT GRADING STANDARDS

PSA/DNA GU 10 - In order to achieve the PSA/DNA GU 10 grade, a game-used bat must be fully documented or possess extraordinary player characteristics, match available factory records and exhibit medium to heavy-use. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable, provided they do not impair the visual quality of the bat. Vault marks or factory side writing are considered documentation under this grade. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications, appear on the team record while the player was on the roster.

In cases where documentation is not included, if a bat possesses perfect player characteristics, exhibits medium to heavy-use and satisfies all other criteria to achieve a grade of PSA/DNA GU 10, the authenticator, at his discretion, may award the highest grade. Under these circumstances, the bat must be exceptional on its own merit, absent documentation.

In addition, provenance has no bearing on player characteristics. In cases where a bat possesses little or no player characteristics and is accompanied by a letter of provenance defined as first party, a bat of this nature cannot be graded a 10 based on existing provenance since the bat cannot qualify on its own merit. The likelihood of game-use is established by visible use and player characteristics, not documentation alone. Therefore, a bat can receive any numerical grade with or without provenance.

Note: When a bat does not qualify for a grade of 10 based on it's own merit, first party documentation must be provided. Team letters are acceptable.

PSA/DNA GU 9 - A PSA/DNA GU 9 bat is one that exhibits very similar qualities to a PSA/DNA GU 10 bat. The bat in question must match available factory records, possess identifiable player characteristics and exhibit medium to heavy use. It may also be accompanied by some verifiable form of provenance but the existence of such documentation may or may not affect the overall grade. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications, appear on the team record while the player was on the roster.

PSA/DNA GU 8 - A PSA/DNA GU 8 bat must matches available factory records, possess identifiable player characteristics and exhibit at least medium use. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications, appear on the team record while the player was on the roster.

PSA/DNA GU 7 - A PSA/DNA GU 7 bat must match available factory records, possess identifiable player characteristics and exhibit at least light to medium use. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications, appear on the team record while the player was on the roster.

PSA/DNA GU 6 - A PSA/DNA GU 6 bat must match available factory records, possess identifiable player characteristics and exhibit at least light use. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications, appear on the team record while the player was on the roster. Bats used by a player other than the name of the player whose name appears on the barrel will fall under this grade, provided the experts could identify the player using the bat.

PSA/DNA GU 5 - A PSA/DNA GU 5 bat must match available factory records, possess identifiable player characteristics and will, most likely, exhibit no evidence of use. In essence, this is a game ready bat that did not see action. Team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number and matching length and weight specifications; appear on the team record while the player was on the roster.

Note:Batting practice and coach-era bats, identified by special notations or evidence of a taped barrel, will fall under this grade.

As you can see, if we adhere to our standards, subjectivity can only be applied to the authenticator's definition of no-use, light-use, medium-use, etc. Authenticity is confirmed by the manufacturer's player's ordering record, and player characteristics that are either present or absent. Uniform numbers on the knob, handle tape, barrel and handle scoring and pine tar are clearly self-explanatory. But when we come to the assertion of use, is when we come to where the convergence of opinions begins.

What is considered to be light-use to some may be perceived as medium-use to others, and so on. We recently read another company's Letter of Authenticity and grading on a game-used bat and was surprised to see a grade of 7 that had been given to a bat that they noted had no ball marks. Additionally, we frequently see bats for sale or at auction that are described as having light or "nice"-use when in fact they are game-ready bats at best. By definition, game-used means just that. Minus ball marks, can the bat be considered game used? Perhaps, if a player struck out without ever fouling one off - but how often does that happen?

In our minds, things such as rack marks, pine tar and player numbers do not define use. A combination of the above, together with the number of clearly defined ball marks, and/or stitch impressions, on the barrel, are what indicate the amount of use.

In order to show you examples of what we have discussed, the following photographs depict our levels of game use. Please take specific note of the photos of the Soriano Sam and Palmeiro Worth bats pictured in this article. Both of these bats appear contrary to their amount of visible use at first glance. The Soriano bat, while possessing an ample amount of pine tar and having a generous amount of scuffs on the barrel, exhibits three well-defined ball marks. The Worth bat, while appearing to have moderate use, is heavily used. The barrel is covered with ball stitch marks. Both cases are perfect examples of how player preparation affects the visual appearance of the bat.

Of course, our definitions for the amount of use, are a bit subjective. After all, they are our opinions. However, judging by the number of phone calls we've had from collectors, we believe they strongly agree with our different levels of use.

Also, please note that vintage bats from the turn of the century through the 1920s, generally do not have clearly defined ball marks and stitch marks. This is due to the quality of the wood used (especially hickory), the finish that was applied, and the baseballs that had been used during that era. Vintage balls were not as hard as they are today as the stitches were not as high as the stitches on today's Major League balls. In many cases, the contact area on a vintage gamer will have noticeable grain swelling from repeated ball contact as well as general abrasions from use and years of being handled.

Subjectivity can never be completely removed from the grading process. However, with our objective approach at defining levels of use, the amount of subjectivity exercised by the authenticator, is minimized.

John Taube is the owner of J.T. Sports. With well over two decades of experience, his expertise on physical attributes of game-used bats and dating have pinned him as one of the world's leading experts in bat authentication and grading. Working in conjunction with Vince Malta, Taube has an ongoing commitment to expand the existing knowledge of game-used bats. With over 35 years of combined expertise, bat experts Taube and Malta are the formidable team for PSA/DNA's game-used bat authentication service. Their reputation and integrity is second to none in the hobby. The duo exhibits strong attention to detail, expertise with labeling variations and insight to restoration. Most importantly, both share a commitment to provide the hobby by adhering to the most standardized and recognized game-used bat evaluation criteria.

Provenance: How much reliance should be placed on the written word?

By John Taube and Vince Malta

A comment I often hear from those who collect game-used bats is that they don't feel it is important to have a provenance letter to know that the bat they own was game-used.

Donning my collectors cap, I couldn't agree more. I know that the bats on my wall were all game-used by specific players. I'm fortunate to know the source of my bats and only collect bats that possess what I know to be perfect player characteristics. Are my bats all "10"s? I'd like to think so, but of course they aren't. Most of the bats in my collection vary in grade from 5 to 10, based on use and player characteristics. I have a bat with a team LOA. It's a World Series bat with a slight crack in the handle, medium use and perfect player characteristics. Without the team LOA, it's a "10".

Now let's consider a bat that would normally grade as a "7". For a bat to grade PSA/DNA GU 7, it must match available factory records, possess some player characteristics, and exhibit at least medium use. Slight cracks or minor repairs may be acceptable, and team ordered and index bats may qualify, provided the model number, matching length, and weight specifications appear on the team record while the player was on the roster. If the bat were to be accompanied with solid provenance the question may rise that it should be elevated to grade at "9" or "10".

When it comes to a bat deemed to have been team ordered, with light use and a letter from a teammate, the question often arises: Should we disregard the criteria for the lower grade and give the bat that "9" or "10" based on the provenance alone? In this month's column, I'll discuss the importance of provenance as it relates to the final grade of a game-used bat.

Let's start by breaking down game-used bats into two eras - modern, 1960 to the present, and vintage, pre-1960. Let's define the vintage era as the "Age of Interpretive Player Characteristics" and the modern era as "Defined Player Characteristics". Most players in the vintage era have no easily identifiable player characteristics. A majority of the gamers we have authenticated for stars such as Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott and Hank Greenberg have common player characteristics. If the bats have a nice amount of ball marks on the correct side of the barrel, and can be identified in the player's factory records as being ordered by the player during the bat's labeling period, we can assume the bat has in fact been used by the player. Lacking provenance, the bat will receive a grade based solely on condition and the amount of use. Vintage stars like Babe Ruth, with his handle and barrel scoring, and Ty Cobb, with his classic tape application to the handle, leave little doubt that the bat was used by the player.

In the above examples, the importance of provenance to a bat cannot be overstated. Without it, the bat, even if heavily used and in excellent condition, cannot receive a grade higher than "7". With verifiable provenance, the same bat can be elevated to a "9" or "10".

In the case of bats that match factory records as having been ordered by the player, and display perfect player characteristics, such as a Ruth bat with a defined hitting zone on the left barrel and a scored handle and barrel, or a Cobb bat with a taped handle and a barrel covered in tobacco juice, these bats warrant a "10" without provenance. An accompanying letter from a teammate or family member simply serves as reaffirmation that the bat was used by the player. Think of it as icing on the cake.

Modern era bats, from 1960 to the present, are much easier to place in specific player's hands, which lessens the need for verifiable provenance. The marking of a player's numbers on the knob, which first appeared in the 1940's (though rare), became commonplace by the 1960's. Pine tar, which is also easily identified, saw much wider use during this era. Both of these easily identified player characteristics have appeared in a variety of baseball magazines as well as in photos on baseball cards. The 1980's gave us videotape and VCR's, which made the recording of games and players holding and swinging bats at the plate an easy task. The videos served as an invaluable reference source enabling fans and collectors to photo document the equipment the players were using. During the 1990's, we all began to travel on the information highway and today, the Internet serves as an unending source for player information, statistics and photographs. Always remember however, that photos available on the Internet represent only a handful of the player's at bats during any given season. They are a representation of some of the bats, not all, being used by the players. If you come across a great bat, with identifiable player characteristics, and can't find a photo, it should not be a reason to pass it up.

To some extent, the sports memorabilia business has made a mockery of player provenance. Many of today's stars sell their own equipment making us all familiar with the LOAs signed by the players that accompany items. "Game-used" is the catch phrase for the elusive grade of "10". It is commonplace for modern bats to achieve a grade of 10 based solely on an LOA from the player or the company representing them. However, many bats signed and represented as "game-used" are not what they appear to be. Too many mistakes are made. We have seen bats signed as game-used that have only been used in batting practice, and bats signed with specific Home Run notations that do not match the bat being used by the player when viewing the game film. We have also seen promotional model bats with bogus use signed off as having been game-used by the player, and even bats that have seen no use at all, signed as having been game-used. Believe us, you name it and we've seen it. All this adds up to a lack of credibility for the provenance letter that accompanies some of today's player's bats, and this sometimes even includes the LOA's signed by the players themselves!

Many collectors are only interested in bats that are accompanied by unquestionable provenance. This provides them with a level of confidence in the bat and the piece of mind that the bat has come directly from the player. But as we've discussed, many bats with provenance display very little use, and in some cases, no use at all. Granted they came right from the player, but were they game used? This is a question that can only be answered by considering the amount of use that is present, and the visible player characteristics. While solid provenance lends to the authenticity of a bat, and can place it in a player's hands, it by no means confirms that the lumber has been used in a game.

When it comes to provenance, I tend to be an "old dog". The best provenance is provided by someone outside of the hobby and sports memorabilia industry who has no expert knowledge of game-used bats. When I get a call from a retired player's family member or friend who has a bat that was given to them years ago, or has been in the family and passed down from generation to generation, the excitement begins to flow. Most of the time a bat such as that will have a labeling period that will match perfectly to the dates of the story. The owner, having no knowledge of our industry, would have no way of knowing that the bat they have described was only made during the season in which the bat was obtained. At that point, nothing more needs to be said. I just keep my fingers crossed that when I actually see the bat that it will show nice use with identifiable player characteristics. In a case like that, origin is rock solid.

Remember, before you consider buying and investing in a game-used bat, do your due diligence and learn as much as you can about the use characteristics of the players you are collecting. Provenance letters, regardless of their claims, are valuable only if the bat can validate those claims. Validation is established by factory records, visible use, and identifiable player characteristics. The way I see it - a "5" is a "5" regardless of the provenance letter.

John Taube is the owner of J.T. Sports. With well over two decades of experience, his expertise on physical attributes of game-used bats and dating have pinned him as one of the world's leading experts in bat authentication and grading. Working in conjunction with Vince Malta, Taube has an ongoing commitment to expand the existing knowledge of game-used bats. With over 35 years of combined expertise, bat experts Taube and Malta are the formidable team for PSA/DNA's game-used bat authentication service. Their reputation and integrity is second to none in the hobby. The duo exhibits strong attention to detail, expertise with labeling variations and insight to restoration. Most importantly, both share a commitment to provide the hobby by adhering to the most standardized and recognized game-used bat evaluation criteria.