This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/5/2014
Offered is a professional model Napoleon Lajoie J.F. Hillerich & Son Louisville Slugger decal bat dating to his tenure with the Cleveland Naps circa 1905-11. Stampings include "100" on the knob and "CTR" below the J.F. Hillerich & Son "dash-dot-dash" center brand.
Dating: The bat’s label dates to the 1905-11 centerbrand stamping period. Lajoie was a very influential player during the era, and was the third player to sign an endorsement contract with Louisville Slugger, behind Cobb and Wagner.
Length 31”: Bat measures 31 inches. Examples of Lajoie bat to enter the market have ranged from 31” to 35”. No records list his lengths, but his file card at the factory noted the following: File Card: His old (Napoleon) Lajoie 35.5", 40 oz. L22, Caliphre Only. Diagram Length: His Old Lajoie (L22) 35.5"; round end. 1911- No specified model, 42 ounce.
Although this verifies that 35” bat were ordered by Lajoie, we cannot rule out a 31” bat being ordered during the deadball era, as it was a standard length during the era.
Weight 42 ounces: At its current weight of 42 ounces, the bat falls within the acceptable weight range for bats issued to professional player during the day. It is also within the acceptable range of the 40, 42 ounce listed on his file card.
Decal: Decal remains approximately 60% intact. There is photographic evidence that players used decal bats in Major League games during this period of 1906 to 1911. MEARS recently archived a photo of an unnamed New York Giant, circa 1904-07, using a decal bat of an unidentified bat maker.
Additional photos of players using decal bats in the major leagues include:
1. 1902-15 circa undated photo of Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan using a decal bat from an unknown supplier.
2. 1914 Hank Gowdy was mentioned in the 1939 H&B catalog as using a decal bat during the World Series.
3. 1908 circa Ty Cobb photo using a decal bat.
Additional professional model decal bats have been examined by MEARS, which perfectly match signature model Hillerich & Bradsby bats in respect to manufacturer specifications, with specific respect to length and weight. Professional Model Decal bats examined were:
MEARS 251387 Ty Cobb 34.5", 37 ounces
MEARS 251351 Ty Cobb 34.5", 38 ounces
MEARS 251886 Honus Wagner 34. 5", 41.5 ounces
This fact is mentioned to establish that H&B bats bearing decals of known endorsees were manufactured in length and weights of documented ordering patterns of the respective player. An exact match of this decal bat to a documented H&B has not been recorded to date, and the above referenced as used to determine that for contemporaries, similarities of decal bat to professional bat examined does occur.
Subsequently, additional professional model decal bats can be found in the MEARS bat letter of opinion archives that varied in either length or weight with respect to known player ordering specifications but are still classified as professional model bats and attributed to the respective player as reflected via the decal on the barrel.
The playing career of Napoleon Lajoie spanned from 1896-1916. He signed his contract with Louisville Slugger on 9/12/1905, the third player to do so following Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. With the signing of his contract late in the year, this bat was most likely produced as some point later than '05. Therefore we attribute the dating to 1906-11 base on the signing of the contract and the dating of the centerbrand. (1896-1911).
Five points are awarded for matching player specifications along with 3 points for heavy use while 2 points are subtracted for barrel damage & 1 point is subtracted for the aftermarket "CTR" stamping resulting in a final grade of MEARS A5. (69W0034)
Conclusion: Per our research, this decal model bat is consistent with professional model requirements of the day. Due to no known surviving records, this bat does not match factory records. Our professional use is attributed to the design of the bat, and the lack of known store or retail markings. It is somewhat ambiguous as to what the early store model decal bats were. We know that by 1911, the 40 series decal bats were introduced, which were clearly not game worn. For the sake of full disclosure, there are no known retail catalogs listing this decal bat as a store model, and we do know professional model decal bats were used in the major leagues.
(69W0034)
LOA Troy Kinunen / MEARS