Can someone explain to me all of the codes on a Rawlings knob?

[Vintagedeputy]

I cant seem to recall all of the info.

[allstarsplus]

I think you are talking the top line etched on the knob for the player code then below it on the left is the batch # and then to the right is the year. Some have the weight written in pen.

Does that help?

Andrew

[gameused]

Jim,

On this Ortiz bat the 456B is the model number (M) would stand for maple. 313 is the batch number and 06 is year.

http://www.boombats.com/ has a section on how to read the older model Rawlings bats.

Hope this helps, Bobby

[Vintagedeputy]

I have a 2003 bat and I'm trying to figure out how the batch number relates to when it may have been made/issued to the player...

Jim

[gameused]

Jim,

I think only Rawlings personnel can answer that question on the batch number/production date.

Bobby

[Vintagedeputy]

ok, thanks anyway Bobby

[Birdbats]

Below, I've copied the section of my McGwire bat buyer's guide that addresses Rawlings knob codes. Generally, there is no sure way for collectors to determine when a bat was made by the code alone. The lower the batch number, the earlier in the year it was turned. But remember, Rawlings makes lots of bats between January 1 and opening day. Depending on the orders they receive, batch #300 could be made in March or June. Also, order quantities can vary significantly because one order may be for three bats and the next for two dozen. This affects how quickly the batch numbers assigned increase. Hope this helps.

Rawlings professional bats have another, smaller set of numbers stamped just below the model number. These digits represent the batch and year code.Typically, the stamp will show three numbers, a space and then two more numbers. Those final two numbers represent the year the bat was manufactured. For instance, if the batch and year code reads "145 99," then the bat was made in 1999.

According to Steele, the first three digits -- the batch codes -- coincide with the order numbers assigned by Rawlings. For example, if the Cardinals placed the year's first order with Rawlings -- and requested 12 bats each for four different players -- all 48 bats would have the 001 batch number. The next order, say two dozen bats for a couple of players on the Angels, would be stamped with the 002 code. During most years, Steele says, the batch numbers reach into the 800s or 900s. However, in 1998, demand created by the McGwire/Sosa homerun chase pushed the number of orders beyond a thousand. As a result, according to Steele, some bats from that season have a four-digit batch code followed by "98."

[allstarsplus]

This is a McGwire knob from 2001.

[kudu]

Some good info here, so thought I would bump it.