Do You Swing Your High End Gamers

[yankees506]

Im not sure if this has been discussed on the forum before but im curious if you guys swing your high end bat gamers. By "high end" i mean $300 plus gamers, all the way up to alex rodriguez, big mac, tony gwynn, albert pujols, derek jeter, alfonso soriano, and even jorge posada and many many others. I know ppl have rock solid feelings on jerseys and i want to keep this thread ENTIRELY about bats, NO jersey opinions please! Id love to hear what our community thinks about swinging high end gamers!

[legaleagle92481]

Im not sure if this has been discussed on the forum before but im curious if you guys swing your high end bat gamers. By "high end" i mean $300 plus gamers, all the way up to alex rodriguez, big mac, tony gwynn, albert pujols, derek jeter, alfonso soriano, and even jorge posada and many many others. I know ppl have rock solid feelings on jerseys and i want to keep this thread ENTIRELY about bats, NO jersey opinions please! Id love to hear what our community thinks about swinging high end gamers!

would never. you lose your grip and bat falls you could do serious damage to it. for broken or cracked ones swining it could make the break or crack worse. also many bats have pine tar and getting that all over your hands is a chore to get off.

[Manram]

Never!!!! I have mine in bat tubes and occasionally may take them down to look at them, but leave them in the tube and don't even pull them out. Let alone swing them

[pjbmd]

i really can't think of a good reason not to swinging an uncracked gamer
if you're careful, swinging a cracked gamer is safe in my experience
pjb

[STLHAMMER32]

That is one of the great pleasures of owning a game used bat. You can pick it up, hold in your hands the same bat a legend swung. Swinging the bat is safe. Taking the bat out back in the yard and hitting balls is a different story.

[justinwc80]

No, no, no, no, I find myself handling them like any museum pieces. Maybe thats just me.

[Tay1038]

That is one of the great pleasures of owning a game used bat. You can pick it up, hold in your hands the same bat a legend swung. Swinging the bat is safe. Taking the bat out back in the yard and hitting balls is a different story.


I agree. That is a huge part of why I collect. It brings me closer to the game! Having the opportunity to own a piece a lumber my favorite player or childhood hero held and swung... I mean, come on!

Honestly, How could you resist taking a practice cut with the same bat Babe Ruth used? I know I would! And then proabably polish up a bit afterwards. ;]

Why not enjoy your collection a little bit? A hobby is supposed to be fun right? But as STLHAMMER states it - taking it to the back yard and hitting balls is a different story.

[jobathenut]

I have one game used bat in my collection a jason giambi game used bat that another member on here 2000mvpfan gave to me.And got it last chirstmas from him.And even though my whole family during christmas all took swings with it and even my mom did.I still have not.Sorry 2000mvpfan if you read this as i know you told me to take some swings with it i still have not been able to.I just stare at it like a school kid and marvel the fact that i have something that was giambi's.And thank you for not opening up discussions about jerseys as i would have gone on a rant about that.

[yankees506]

so we have 3 yay, 3 nay, and 1 undecided.... This is great, ill hold off what i think until later on..... Just want to clear up a few things. Im not talking about going to the back yard and getting your barry bonds on, as we would all agree that is the WORST thing anyone can possibly do. But more of a simple practice swing or even holding the bat imitating the players stance...

[OaklandAsFan]

all of my bats hang on the wall and I occasionally take one down and just hold onto it and take a few practice cuts but for the most part they stay hung up.

I have however taken 2 bats that were given to me and I use them in the batting cage in my backyard. a Ben Grieve Sam bat that had the most miniscule crack in it and I have 3 other Grieves so I figured what the heck and I also have an Eric Chavez that I got from him a few years ago but I told him that I was gonna use it in the cages and he gave me a brand new piece of lumber for that.

[OaklandAsFan]

all of my bats hang on the wall and I occasionally take one down and just hold onto it and take a few practice cuts but for the most part they stay hung up.

I have however taken 2 bats that were given to me and I use them in the batting cage in my backyard. a Ben Grieve Sam bat that had the most miniscule crack in it and I have 3 other Grieves so I figured what the heck and I also have an Eric Chavez that I got from him a few years ago but I told him that I was gonna use it in the cages and he gave me a brand new piece of lumber for that.


Oh yeah I also had a Ramon Hernandez from 2000 that I used in the cage but I hit one of those hard rubber balls right off the end of the bat and it took a big chunk out of it so now it hangs on the wall.

[yankees506]

great stories about the low end gamers and how you use them, i myself have taken a randy winn bat and smacked around some leather, but id like to keep the thread to just swinging the high end bats, thanks!

[5kRunner]

Using your definition, I've taken cuts with my Sandberg, Dawson, and Grace gamers. Of course at nothing more than air.

But if I had a Ruth, Cobb, Gehrig, or even a Mantle; I'm not sure I'd be swing them too much.

[punch]

I swing a bat every Thursday night at softball!

I don't see the allure of taking imaginary cuts with your game used bats.

[chipperhank44]

As long as the bat is stable, that's the first thing I do when I get a new bat. And every now and then I'll take em out of the showcase and admire, take a couple cuts. I figure if a guy took this bat and demolished baseballs with it, kicked it, and rubbed pine tar all over it, swinging it a couple times in my man cave won't hurt. And yes, the fact that a hero of mine held that exact bat while dueling with a pitcher is very, very cool.

[Rob L]

Definitely. I even repair cracked bats so they can be picked up and swung. I already have jerseys just hanging around, at least I don't have to be bored just staring at a bat.:)

[flaco1801]

i guess the guys that dont swing their bats are afraid they might crack one in thin air...

[gorilla777]

I just can't resist swinging some of them, but sure, just be careful. I don't mess with the big time cracked bats.

I did just pick up my first George Brett bat so I am going to recreate the Pine Tar incident freak out scene, maybe even in front of the neighbors:D

Good times....

Ben

[10thMan]

No, Not the high end Bats. Gwynn, Boggs, Mcgwire, V. Guerrero...I`ll pick em up once or twice, that`s about it.

Sean

[legaleagle92481]

i guess the guys that dont swing their bats are afraid they might crack one in thin air...

There is alot that could happen just swinging the bat it could slip out of your hand and fall to the ground and get damaged. Or you could accidentally hit something resulting in damage. Also alot of handling causes the pine tar that many bats have to rub off and can cause player's custom tape jobs to become undone as well.

[Lokee]

I have played with a Brett Hull game used stick. I knocked over a glass with wine in it. Luckily it cleaned up good. :)

[Birdbats]

I definitely swing them. That's part of the fun of collecting! And when I have people over, I encourage them to swing them, even though they sometimes seem afraid to touch them. I love the look in a kid's eyes when he's holding a Pujols bat. And it's fun to watch older guys get excited handling a Willie Mays or Stan Musial bat. If you got 'em, swing 'em!

[skyking26]

I definitely swing them. That's part of the fun of collecting! And when I have people over, I encourage them to swing them, even though they sometimes seem afraid to touch them. I love the look in a kid's eyes when he's holding a Pujols bat. And it's fun to watch older guys get excited handling a Willie Mays or Stan Musial bat. If you got 'em, swing 'em!
I agree. One is not hurting the bat - have fun and enjoy the item!

[STLHAMMER32]

There is alot that could happen just swinging the bat it could slip out of your hand and fall to the ground and get damaged. Or you could accidentally hit something resulting in damage. Also alot of handling causes the pine tar that many bats have to rub off and can cause player's custom tape jobs to become undone as well.

...and the display case the bats are in could fall off the wall, glass could shatter everywhere and stick in the bats chipping the wood and forever ruin the look of the bats.... :p There are risks in everything we do whether its driving to work or even participating in a sport. Whatever the case may be its all about enjoying life and the hobby we love...for some that may be admiring the bats from a distance, behind a glass and for some holding it in their hands and showing them to friends...and possibly some dry swings ;) .

I agree with birdbats that alot of the fun is handing a fan their favorite player's bat and letting them admire it personally. I know that Mcgwire was able to hold the bat that Roger Maris hit his 61st with and I'm sure that had more of an impact on him than if it was just in a display case.

[yankees506]

Ok heres what i think. To swing the bats is the best thing you can to enjoy the bats. Sure you can look at them and admire them and we all do that, but taking a cut with the same lumber one of you idols went to work with is the best. You can never take away the cleat marks, pine tar, and ball marks on the bat. But i must admit that on some of my bats i only swing holding them halfway up, between the handle and the bat label (dont want to touch the mota on it :D ). As long as your not taking gary sheffield style cuts while swinging them you should be fine.....Ill admit its hard for me not to when i have one of my 3 sheffs in my hands! I dont see any problems with it...... WE SHOULD ALL BEE SWINGERS!!! :eek: :cool:

[BergerKing22784]

Swinging the bats is the best part! If its not cracked I think the chances of you doing anything to it are slim to none. Also they are game used! They are not mint condition anyway.

I know this will strike a nerve with some people and i dont purposely try to hurt my bats in anyway but I do have a pile of them in the corner and if i want to look at one they might clang into each other a little bit but thats how they are treated at the ball park so i dont see anything wrong with it.

I know this is about the high end gamers I am sure I wouldnt put my "high end" gamers in a pile with the rest if I had any but unless its autographed i am not treating it like its a newborn baby.

[halofan]

Swing a few, some more cracked then others, depends on how cracked the bat is. My higher end gamers, I don't swing or really handle the ones with alot of pine tar ( Vladdys:D )

[yankees506]

thought id bump this as we have a lot of new members

[Dolphins23]

I don't swing my bat but I would with your wife Que in Shaq Voice

[panthrotc]

No, no, no, no, I find myself handling them like any museum pieces. Maybe thats just me.

This.