Label Period 1916-22: According to the book, "A Complete Reference Guide Louisville Slugger Professional Player Bat by Vince Malta", the centerbrand of this book is most consistent with the 1916-1922 time span.
Length 34": The bat measures at 34", which is within the documented range of Ty Cobb professional model bats. According to the book, " A Crack of the bat" a history of Louisville Slugger, a factory production personal player information card list Ty Cobb as ordering 34" bat. The card lists length only, 34". Review of his factory records at H&B list his lengths at 34.5", therefore, this bat is within the accepted range of documented Ty Cobb professional model bats as archived at the H&B factory, both 34" and 34.5".
Weight 33.0 ounces: The bat currently weights 33 ounces. H&B factory records list Ty Cobb bats at 36-38 ounces during the 1920 season, 37 to 40 ounces between 1921-1922. Taking into consideration for the possibility of weight change during this timespan, this examined Ty Cobb bat falls within the accepted weight range of H&B factory recorded Ty Cobb professional model bats is weight loss is taken into consideration.
Model C28: The model of this bat is consistent with what was requested for personal use by Ty Cobb. This was the preferred model bat ordered by Ty Cobb and factory recorded. It is described as "His Model a.k.a. His Original Model - small barrel, large handle, with a flat end as opposed to his standard half round end. MEARS has examined an additional Ty Cobb 1916-22 professional model game used bat, MEARS #258242, and an additional Ty Cobb 1916-22 Clark C. Griffith professional model bat, which both exhibit the square barrel.
Finish: Bat exhibits a flame burned finish.
Hand Turned knob: Special attention was given to the knob as evidenced by the rasp marks that are associated with the practice of hand turning. Store model bats are machine sanded, which creates a very smooth finish, as to be expected with the practice of mass production. This examined bat with its hand turned knob is consistent with the practice of the professional turning of game used bats.
Use: Bat exhibits heavy game use. The bat exhibits a handful of cleat marks that are scattered near the barrel end of the bat, some of which appear to have been filled with some sort of epoxy. Ball marks appear on each side of the barrel and a few bat rack marks, white and red in color, appear along the barrel.
Clark Griffith Ball and Bat Fund stamp is found left of the centerbrand. The history of the Clark Griffith Ball and Bat Fund is followed: According to the website the Ballplayers, "Oct 6, 1917 - Before the WS starts, Charles Comiskey offers one percent of his team's WS share to Clark Griffith's Bat and Ball Fund for American soldiers in France. In Chicago, Happy Felsch's HR is the difference as Ed Cicotte beats the Giants' Slim Sallee 2-1 in the Series opener."
Dave Grob has copies of article from the New York Times, dated 2 April 1919 that clearly indicates the purpose of the fund was to purchase equipment for players, and yes this included bats.
In other words, by these numbers 3100 outfits times 3 bats per outfit = 9,300 bats. The question remains, if all of these were stamped with this logo, why the limited number of surviving samples. Research allows us to know what the Ball and Bat Fund was created for, a fund for U.S. Serviceman, but the actual production practice and rational for this bat being found on this era's H&B bats is unknown. The original school of thought was that these bats were produced for the serviceman to use. With an accounting of 9300 bats sent to servicemen, the surviving numbers do not support the mass production of these bats. These bats are quite rare, with only a small hand full having ever entered the hobby or being examined by MEARS. To conclude, we have never seen a game photo of a major league player using one of these specially marked bats but if 9300 were ordered and so stamped, it would seen the current examples would appear in a greater quantity.
For example, during WW2, H&B manufactured bats for U.S. serviceman. These bats are found often in the hobby, actually in large quantities. They are specifically marked as such, and are made of inferior wood; a practice associated with mass production with the intention of reducing production costs.
All of the Clark C. Griffith bats examined by MEARS were made of the highest quality of wood, carefully hand turned, and produced in lengths and weights consistent with what was ordered by the examined player.
An alternate theory of the origin of the Clark C. Griffith handle stamp may be that it was factory stamped at the H&B factory for professional model bats, much as the same way that in 1976 the Bicentennial logo was factory stamped into bats to commemorate American's Bicentennial.
MEARS also has in their possession of Walter Holke 125 professional model signature bat, bearing the same Clark C. Griffith barrel stamp, which supports the bat was manufacture for non-HOF caliber players.
Grade: MEARS A5. Base grade 5 points for bat matching player manufacturing specification (model, length, weight), 3 points heavy use (w/ cleat marks), and minus 3 points for the Clark C. Griffith barrel stampings, due to its unknown purpose and lack of support documentation as to its origin.
Conclusion: The A5 grade was assigned to this bat due to the presence of the Clark C. Griffith logo which cannot be supported by H&B documentation. But, with that lone exception, this bat is completely consistent with respects to length, model, weight, factory stampings, hand turned knob, and use traits (cleat marks) as to what has been documented on high grade Ty Cobb game used professional model bats. There are no known facts, either written or empirical, to support this as only being a store model bat.
Additionally, based on the process and cost of mass production, this bat is not consistent with the practice of store model bat production, and should be considered for professional issuance/usage.