Isnt It Great When You Get An Awesome Gu Suprise?! Opinions Please!

[yankees506]

OK im going to make this as good and as short as i can. I recently picked up a few yankee items from steiner, one of them was an Eric Hinskie gu bat from last year. Picked it up for a good price so i just took it, then when i got it a few days ago i noticed this (first pic). So that struck me as weird, Hinskie wore #14 and it was traced over on the bat with an #18 (Johnny Damons number). But then i think it cant be because damon never used a lot of tar on his bats, and much less a taped knob. Also Damon is a BWP bat guy (mostly two tone). And ive never seen him used blonde bats. But then i also realised the bat was broken in typical damon style (shattered). So i decided to look up some images on getty to see if i could hit a mini jackpot. I knew Hinskie was a mid season pickup (june 30th 2009) so i thought it would be an easy search and it was, I now present my Johnny Damon GU Eric Hinskie model bat: blue ink transfer in the middle of the handle matches perfect, i think its a match due to it being a hinskie model bat the ink transfer (what are the odds two bats get it in the same spot and shape?). As well as the tar on the handle................. Let me know what you guys think...... I dont mind any and all opinions, thanks guys!

[STLHAMMER32]

Congrats on a great pick-up, sometimes it really pays to do your research! Bat is a match imo and a great bat....looking for that match can be a challenge but a really rewarding part of the hobby!

[Manram]

I would say it's a match plus i would bet damon did not use many of hinske's bats so it would be likely anyways

[Dach0sen0ne]

He used this in 1 at bat I can find, first inning Sept 1, 2009 against the O's. Next at bat he switched back to his 2 tone.

[yankees506]

Thanks for the screen shots, Ive found getty images of damon using hinskie model bats from 8/20-9/3. My match was used on 8/27

[Dach0sen0ne]

WOW! I'd say this is an exact match.

[spartanservitto]

Wow, how cool. Did you get Swisher using it also? What did Damon do in the at bat anything? I would say that is 100% photomatch. You should get those photos in high quality and put them with the bat, so sick.

-Tony

[yankees506]

WOW this is amazing, you guys are great. And to think i decided to look this bat up on a whim. Its got bunch of blue ink marks on the barell, so either johnny continued to use it after 8/27 or Hinskie used it as well. Wow if damon poped a hr with this bat, i will faint! HELP!!!!! ;)

[shafrancollectibles.com]

The following was on the list of items Chris sent out during the "Make An Offer" period with Steiner - evidently that's the bat you have:

Johnny Damon #18 2009 Yankees Game Used Louisville Slugger Ash Bat (Eric Hinske Model) (Cracked)

[spartanservitto]

I meant Hinske, not Swisher. My bad on that. haha.

-Tony

[Dach0sen0ne]

Wow, how cool. Did you get Swisher using it also? What did Damon do in the at bat anything? I would say that is 100% photomatch. You should get those photos in high quality and put them with the bat, so sick.

-Tony

Infield single, he got lucky. LOL

[legaleagle92481]

OK im going to make this as good and as short as i can. I recently picked up a few yankee items from steiner, one of them was an Eric Hinskie gu bat from last year. Picked it up for a good price so i just took it, then when i got it a few days ago i noticed this (first pic). So that struck me as weird, Hinskie wore #14 and it was traced over on the bat with an #18 (Johnny Damons number). But then i think it cant be because damon never used a lot of tar on his bats, and much less a taped knob. Also Damon is a BWP bat guy (mostly two tone). And ive never seen him used blonde bats. But then i also realised the bat was broken in typical damon style (shattered). So i decided to look up some images on getty to see if i could hit a mini jackpot. I knew Hinskie was a mid season pickup (june 30th 2009) so i thought it would be an easy search and it was, I now present my Johnny Damon GU Eric Hinskie model bat: blue ink transfer in the middle of the handle matches perfect, i think its a match due to it being a hinskie model bat the ink transfer (what are the odds two bats get it in the same spot and shape?). As well as the tar on the handle................. Let me know what you guys think...... I dont mind any and all opinions, thanks guys!

Out of curiosity how does the LOA describe the bat? I ask because I once was told that Steiner just goes by whoevers name is on the barallel.

[yankees506]

"Eric Hinskie #14 2009 yankees game used louisville slugger" Pretty much like you said legal, the name on the barell. This is the second time i have matched a mis-tagged bat. ITS SWEET!

[yankees506]

Just got a few more screen shots of damon using this bat. This is why we collect! Finding not so hidden treasures~!

[PwKw13]

Out of curiosity how does the LOA describe the bat? I ask because I once was told that Steiner just goes by whoevers name is on the barallel.

I was told the same thing by MLB for a bat that was MLB authenticated. The website described it as game used by the person whose name was on the bat (even though I was told it could have been used by another player). I don't think that this is the general policy, but it was the case for this particular bat.

[yankees506]

Anyone have a simmilar gu surprise? id love to hear other stories!

[yankees506]

With the help of this forum i matched the damon hinskie bat to 8/27/2009, so i cheked the next day 8/28/2009 and uswire had one photo of damon using my bat and the caption "johhny damon hits a hr in the 3rd inning against the chicago white sox". Icing on the cake indeed!