George Brett 1980-83 LVS T85

[CampWest]

http://cgi.ebay.com/George-Brett-GAME-USED-BAT-1980-83-PINE-TAR-LVS-T85_W0QQitemZ280472060469

http://i.ebayimg.com/08/!BnRFJ-!BWk~$(KGrHqEH-C0EtrFJ6qq-BLi)5JD8fQ~~_12.JPG
http://i.ebayimg.com/09/!BnRHMjwBGk~$(KGrHqUH-C8Etsdh6pjpBLi)+kdk-Q~~_3.JPG

model, length, and weight look good.
I've never seen a circled 5.

Bat just doesnt look and feel quite right, my gut just doesn't like it...

Might be that its a lot of tar for nearly no ball marks, the tar transfer from center brand to handle doesnt look right. There should be two distinct tar sections separated by an area of no tar, there should be tar at the lower handle and on center brand and they should be in relative heaviness and correspond to the amount of ball marks. There should be a relatively clean gap on the upper handle.

To me, this does not look like a bat used by Brett. Possibly used by another player.

What do you all think? If anybody is considering this bat, I would recommend pursuing it with caution.

[shoremen44]

I have seen a bunch of Brett's... and owned a very nice one... I wouldnt touch this one... to me the use looks off...

and... the 5 looks like nothing I have seen on a Brett bat...

I am not an expert on Brett gamers, but I wouldnt go anywhere near this one

[MSpecht]

Here is a great article on Brett game used bats courtesy of Andy Benish at VintageBats.com

http://www.vintagebats.com/feature_page-GeorgeBrett.htm

Mike jackitout7@aol.com

[CampWest]

Here is a great article on Brett game used bats courtesy of Andy Benish at VintageBats.com

http://www.vintagebats.com/feature_page-GeorgeBrett.htm

Mike jackitout7@aol.com

Definitely... Thats a great resource, good photo evidence to illustrate what I meant by the pine tar application on this bat. And the knob and end markings. Thanks Mike.

[dcrules01]

Whatever happened to the pine tar bat that was used that day at Yankee stadium?I remember that game like it was yesterday. Great article and some of the bats photographed are awesome.:cool: I love this board you can learn something new everyday.

[CampWest]

Whatever happened to the pine tar bat that was used that day at Yankee stadium?I remember that game like it was yesterday. Great article and some of the bats photographed are awesome.:cool: I love this board you can learn something new everyday.

My understanding is George still owns the bat and usually loans it to the Baseball HOF. Last year he loaned it to the new Royals Museum at the stadium and they had it on display at this years Fan Fest back in January.

[CampWest]

My understanding is George still owns the bat and usually loans it to the Baseball HOF. Last year he loaned it to the new Royals Museum at the stadium and they had it on display at this years Fan Fest back in January.

here ya go... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=3502239
excerpt
And now here it is, 25 years later, and Brett and Gossage are still talking about it. The famed bat is in the Hall of Fame, but it had quite a journey after it was sent to MacPhail.

"About two weeks later, I got the bat back when we were in Detroit," Brett said. "I took the pine tar down to the limit, 18 inches. And I drew a red line on my bat [so never to put the pine tar above it]. I used it for two games. Gaylord came up and said, 'Why are you using that bat? That's a historic bat. If you break it, it won't be worth anything.' So I put it in the bat bag, and now it's in the Hall of Fame.

"Originally, I sold it to a collector [Barry Halper] for $25,000. But a week later, or six months later, I didn't think that was the right thing to do. So I bought it back for $25,000. And I gave Barry the bat that I used when I hit three home runs in one game off [Yankees pitcher] Catfish Hunter in the playoffs."

Now the bat is in Cooperstown, on display, for everyone to see.

"I should have restored it to its original state," Brett said. "I should have put the tar up to 23 inches. The red line is still on it."

It has been 25 years, and Brett acknowledges that his bat was illegal, and putting too much pine tar on it was an "oversight" on his part. He says, without anger or bitterness, that, "I played 20 years in the major leagues, I did some good things, and the one at-bat I'm remembered for is an at-bat in July, not an at-bat in October like Reggie Jackson. Only in New York.

It would have never been that big a deal if it had happened in Cleveland. Me against Goose made it a big deal. Billy being there made it a big deal. Something like this can only happen in New York." "It has brought us a lot of fun over years," Gossage said. "I've always said that I'm proud of all the home runs that I've given up. That was my proudest one, but I wasn't happy when it happened at the time."

Brett can laugh about it all now. From that day, he got a national commercial from Emory Air Freight "that paid handsomely." And, that day also helped ease one of his most painful memories -- losing the 1980 World Series, and missing a Series game due to a case of hemorrhoids.

"From October 1980 to July 24, 1983, everywhere I went, I heard hemorrhoid jokes that were downright nasty," Brett said. "It's a no-brainer. I'd rather be known as the Pine Tar Guy."

[dcrules01]

Thanks great read I always liked Brett. Maybe one day ill look for one of his bats. Any idea what price range they go for?

[ironmanfan]

here ya go... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=3502239
excerpt
And now here it is, 25 years later, and Brett and Gossage are still talking about it. The famed bat is in the Hall of Fame, but it had quite a journey after it was sent to MacPhail.

"Originally, I sold it to a collector [Barry Halper] for $25,000. But a week later, or six months later, I didn't think that was the right thing to do. So I bought it back for $25,000. And I gave Barry the bat that I used when I hit three home runs in one game off [Yankees pitcher] Catfish Hunter in the playoffs."

Now the bat is in Cooperstown, on display, for everyone to see.

It should be noted that good 'ole George Brett originally defrauded Barry Halper by trading him a bat that 'supposedly' had been used by him to hit 3 Home Runs off Catfish Hunter in the 1978 playoffs, HOWEVER as can seen by this 1987 Smithsonian article, the bat is CLEARLY a 1980-1983 bat LS (with writing "Three Homeruns off Catfish Hunter; Broken by Goose 1978 A.L Playoffs").This bat was somehow originally listed in the Smithsonian Halper sale in '99, but was removed when it was discovered to be a fraud.

Stay Classy George!

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k172/whhp72/1brett.jpg

[MSpecht]

Here is the glove that Goose Gossage wore when he gave up the Pine Tar Home Run to Brett. It made its way into the hobby in 2008.

Mike

[rj_lucas]

In 1998 I produced a photo shoot of the pinetar bat for a lifesize poster supporting ALS research, George's personal cause.

We shot it in the basement of the Hall of Fame. According to the folks at the Hall I was the first person other than museum personnel to handle the bat since George gave it to them (note the white gloves).

Needless to say I didn't take any practice swings...

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com