Josh Hamilton vintage bat BMH got it right.

[cjclong]

I ran into Joe Macko at the Rangers game last night. I asked him if Josh Hamilton used one of this bats in a recent game. He said he thought Hamilton would like one of his old bats and brought it to the clubhouse to show him. I believe he said it is an S2, does that sound correct, and is 36 inches long and about 40 years old. He said Hamilton used it in a game and got a hit and a couple of sacrifice flies I believe. He said Hamilton still has the bat and may use it again. Brian was right about it being a Macko Louisville Slugger. What is the lenght of the C353 Louisville Slugger Hamilton is using now?

[allstarsplus]

That is a great story. Surprised one of the big news organizations hasn't written a story about that!

Way to go BMH!!!

[5kRunner]

That is so cool.

Hamilton is becoming one of my favorites. Love his personality.

[shoremen44]

Love this story

[BMH]

He currently uses a 35in/33oz bat.

[cjclong]

Brian, if I understood Mr. Macko right he said the bat of his Hamilton is using is an S2 from about 40 years ago. Did I get the model right?

[AstrosCollector]

I actually held that exact bat last season, and can tell you it is LOG!!!

Mr. Macko was down in Corpus Christi when the Hooks (Astros AA Minor League team) were having a weekend celebration for the old Corpus Christi Giants.

He came through the clubhouse with it and told me it was the same bat that he used when he played. It was like a telephone pole. Mr. Macko is quite a character! I believe he said he was an ambassador for the Rangers.

Cool story!

[Tay1038]

Great story and find! I wonder if anyone else has tried this before - using a 50's or 60's model bat? Any other cool stories like this out there?

[metsbats]

Josh gave "turn back the clock" a whole new meaning!

How about the game in 1997 where David Wells wore a 35K Babe Ruth game used cap to the mound during the first inning. Joe Torre made him take it off after the first inning because it violated MLB uniform protocol.

Also I remember reading once that Mike Schmidt used a 70's era Adirondack bat during a game in the 80's too.

[rose14]

The older players, especially in the early 1900's swung some really big wood. I just got a bat in this week that is from H & B's earliest labeling (JF Hillerich & Son) period and it is huge. It was used in 1911 by Hank Severeid during his rookie season. The bat is 36" and weighs a whopping 44oz.

[shoremen44]

rose14

I have a Frank Howard 1963 bat... are you ready... 38" and 46.5 ounces...

[cordovacollector]

I love this thread!

[rj_lucas]

The older players, especially in the early 1900's swung some really big wood. I just got a bat in this week that is from H & B's earliest labeling (JF Hillerich & Son) period and it is huge. It was used in 1911 by Hank Severeid during his rookie season. The bat is 36" and weighs a whopping 44oz.

I guess players needed that much lumber just to get ball past the infield during the dead ball era.

Ruth continued to swing a heavy bat (as much as 54 oz. by some accounts) even as the live ball era began and the rest was history.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

[012562]

Great story and find! I wonder if anyone else has tried this before - using a 50's or 60's model bat? Any other cool stories like this out there?

In about January of 1981, the University of California at Riverside had some kind of exhibition baseball game with pro players against the current UCR team. Pro guys like Jim Barr, Dan Whitmer, Kim Allen, Rickey Peters, Bob Owchinko, Bob Grich, Bobby Bonds, and Bruce Boisclair participated in the game. I was able to get in the dugout before the game, and I was kind of amazed to see Bobby Bonds with a Louisville Slugger bat that was from prior to 1976. It looked even older, with faded wood and toning. I don't know the date on it, but at the time I thought it was from the start of Bobby's career. Since Bobby was from Riverside, I figured he must have picked it up from some relative he had provided it to or he had it stored away somewhere in some house he might have still owned in Riverside. What made this special was that Barry hit a bomb to centerfield with that bat during the game.

As an aside, Dan Whitmer did not have any wood bats to use, so he used aluminum bats (most guys used Easton at that time). During the game, TWICE he broke aluminum bats in half during his at bats. I have never seen an aluminum break in half even one other time.

Tom Duino