Who Owns The Infamous Billy Ripken 'F*CK FACE' Bat??

[TriplexXxSports]

One of my favorite cards as a kid was the Billy Ripken error card. I used to look at it and giggle, since swearing was forbidden in my house as a child, and I had to hide it from my parents and siblings so I didn't get it taken away. I have never collected baseball GU stuff, and besides the tid-bits I follow on here, have never bothered to follow oddities like this bat.

I figured that with some of the die-hard baseball collectors in here I could find where this bat ended up. It has always interested me.

Anyone have any info?

[ironmanfan]

Billy himself has it

[jv225]

Good question. I remember that card clearly now from when I was a kid. I totally forgot about it until this post :D

According to this cnbc article Billy has no idea where it is.

"I have no idea where that bat is today. If I were to guess, I would say it probably got lost after someone used it in a game. Probably a guy like Brady Anderson because he choked up so he could use a heavier bat."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/28116692

It would definitely be interesting to find out where it is.

[David]

There's an 1880s N173 Old Judge card of Hoss Radbourn flipping the bird. He's sort of covertly doing it to his side.

[cards-bats]

Billy Martin had one too.

[sox83cubs84]

After the Ripken card was established, a Beckett BB Card Monthly reader excitedly sent in a letter claiming that he had found a similar oddity on the knob of Andres Galarraga's bat on his 1987 Fleer card. Beckett didn't commit either way, but one look and I knew exactly what the inscription was: the length and weight notations printed on the knob of all player-issue Cooper bats in that era. I sent my findings to Beckett, since that's where the question appeared, but, being a rival publication's columnist, they apparently went the Baseball Hobby News route and, not wanting to publicize a competitor's writer, didn't use it.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[WadeInBmore]

don't forget about the Thomas middle finger card...

[David]

Couldn't find the Old Judge, but here is Hoss in a team photo:

http://www.19cbaseball.com/images/radbourn-flips-the-bird.jpg

http://www.19cbaseball.com/images/radbourn-flips-the-bird-detail-t.jpg

[GarkoCollector]

I know the premier Bill Ripken collector. If Bill doesnt own it, this guy would.

[TriplexXxSports]

So did anyone figure out or know where it is?