Letter of Authenticity Friday January 16, 2009 Certification Number: 00029 1908-11 Spalding Johnny Evers Professional Model Bat Manufacturer: Spalding Model Number: NA Labeling Period: 1908-11 Length: 32.375 Weight: 41.5 oz Wood: Ash Finish: Standard The referenced bat matches the specifications of known player models for length and weight. Description: This circa 1908-11 Spalding Gold Medal John J Evers autograph model bat shows evidence of moderate use with numerous ball marks and some very slight swelling on the right barrel surface. There are some varnish and paint spots on the back barrel that do not show when displayed. The front of the barrel has some age cracks and dryness and the barrel end has some damage. The handle of the bat is not cracked and has not been taped in any way. The hand turned knob is in excellent condition with some very minor notching in a couple of areas on the side. Overall the bat is in good condition with some areas that could use some restoration. Summary: See following pages for additional comments. As owner of it is my duty to ensure that every item I sell is backed by a lifetime guarantee. Please keep this letter of authenticity with your bat as proof of that guarantee. Sincerely, Tim Byington
Johnny Evers Professional Model Bat Front Barrel Back Barrel Handle Knob
January 16, 2009 RE: 1908-11 Johnny Evers Spalding Professional Model Game Bat Manufacturer: Spalding Certification Number: 00029 Manufacturer Characteristics The length and weight of the examined Spalding Gold Medal bat closely resemble the few known Hillerich & Bradsby examples as well as the D&M signature model Evers that I previously owned. That bat was sent to Mears for authentication after I sold it and it received a very solid A7 grade. Johnny Evers Spalding Gold Medal: 32.375 41.5 oz Johnny Evers D&M Mears A7: 32.6875 38 oz Johnny Evers Mears A10: 32.25 37.7 oz Johnny Evers 1922 H&B: 32.5 37 oz Johnny Evers H&B Index length: 32.5 The rarity of Evers bats makes length comparison somewhat difficult. However, it can still be shown that there is a very close similarity in length and weight between the known authenticated examples and the examined Spalding Gold Medal bat. Length is consistently between 32 and 33 and weight is normally between 37 oz and 38 oz. In the case of this Spalding Gold Medal bat the weight is 41.5 oz. This is a full 3.5 oz more than any of the other examples. This increase in weight is most likely due to Evers ordering and using heavier bats earlier in his career. Quite often players of the deadball era (roughly 1901-1919) used heavier bats earlier in their careers and then switched to lighter bats later due to the change in the style of the game or simply because age became a factor. It is also generally accepted that bats offered through the retail trade would have a more typical length of 33, 34, or 35. However, I recently viewed a scan of a vintage Spalding advertisement that showed Johnny Evers bats being offered to the public where the length was said to be about 32 ½ in length. This makes perfect sense since the retail bats are more or less exact copies of models used by the players and returned to the factory. I would guess this process was likely a bit the same as what went on at the Hillerich & Bradsby factory with returned bats. Spalding was well known in the industry as a supplier of professional model bats from 1908 to 1920. Other Spalding brand bats known to the hobby as professional models include bats used by Ty Cobb, Frank Chance, Babe Ruth, George Stone, Edd Roush, Larry Doyle, Willie Keeler, and Heinie Groh. The trait possessed by this bat that most significantly sets it apart from its retail counterparts is the presence of a hand-turned knob. In the simplest terms, this means that the ends of the bat have been rasped by hand to achieve a specific weight as requested by the professional player.
The rasp marks on the knob of this Spalding Gold Medal bat are still clearly visible. They appear as a series of small scratches in the center of the knob. This also means that hand-turned bats will be missing any factory stamping, where as retail bats would have had factory finished knobs complete with the Spalding Trademark seal stamped into them. Adding to the probability that this bat was created specifically for John Evers to use is the presence of a Spalding Gold Medal John J Evers signature model bat on display in Cooperstown that was donated to the museum by his own family. The close up below shows the Spalding Gold Medal John J Evers Autograph center label.
Photographic Evidence Most often, the greatest source of attribution of a bat for use by a particular player comes from the examination of vintage photos. There is a photo circa 1913 on page 439 of The Annotated Baseball Stories of Ring W. Lardner: 1914-1919 ; showing Johnny Evers standing with three unidentified ball players. The bat he holds at his side is a Spalding John J Evers Autograph model bat. It is similar in style, but that particular labeling was used from 1912-25. This photograph further enforces Evers use of Spalding brand bats. Summary: After taking into consideration all of the evidence presented regarding this bat, I find that it is a handturned, professional model bat most likely made specifically for use by Johnny Evers between 1908 and 1911 by the Spalding Company which was headquartered in Chicago. The case for professional use can be made by examining the physical characteristics including length, weight, grain, and knob style. Also taken into account is the endorsement history of Evers with Spalding versus Hillerich & Bradsby, and the proximity of his professional team, the Chicago Cubs, to Spalding headquarters which were located in Chicago. The bat is very similar in length and weight to those H&B counterparts, including a side-written and vault marked bat. This bat is made of professional grade ash and has characteristics of bats manufactured for professional use.