- Thread starter
- #1
gracecollector
Well-known member
Very happy and excited to add something I've never seen before (and can't find any others) to my Carl Lundgren collection. Carl pitched for the Cubs from 1901-1908 and his hometown is the town next to mine (Marengo, IL). He was also a very successful college baseball coach at the University of Michigan and University of Illinois. I've collected some of his memorabilia, but the selection is pretty limited.
So the bat got listed on eBay last week, as a new to-the-hobby discovery that had been in storage for several decades. The owner didn't know too much about it. I was able to do some research and learn some interesting facts about it.
The maker's mark read "Leavitt Manufacturing Co., Urbana IL" and "GILL." It also had Lundgren's signature woodburned on the barrel. Since I went to the University of Illinois and lived in Urbana for 7 years, the bat had extra intrigue to me. Armed with this information, I found out the Leavitt company came to Urbana on July 1, 1903. It manufactured mostly agricultural equipment until 1911, when it expanded into sporting goods. The company employed University of Illinois track coach Harry Gill to consult on its products, thus the GILL brand on the barrel. Carl coached the U of I baseball team from 1921-1934 (winning five Big 10 titles). So I'm dating the bat to that period, most likely mid 1920's.
This is the only Lundgren signature model bat of any kind I can find. Which makes it a pretty cool addition to the collection. It also looks pretty similar to the bat in the picture I have of Lundgren teaching class at U of I. The bat together with the photo and also an original coursebook of the coaching class Lundgren authored (which includes many photos of the 1921 U of I baseball players), will make an awesome display - one that I hope to someday exhibit at the county historical museum or Marengo Public Library.
Other University of Illinois memorabilia
Carl Lundgren Baseball Cards
Historical Marker in Marengo IL
Postcard showing "The Flats" field in Marengo IL where Lundgren first played ball
So the bat got listed on eBay last week, as a new to-the-hobby discovery that had been in storage for several decades. The owner didn't know too much about it. I was able to do some research and learn some interesting facts about it.
The maker's mark read "Leavitt Manufacturing Co., Urbana IL" and "GILL." It also had Lundgren's signature woodburned on the barrel. Since I went to the University of Illinois and lived in Urbana for 7 years, the bat had extra intrigue to me. Armed with this information, I found out the Leavitt company came to Urbana on July 1, 1903. It manufactured mostly agricultural equipment until 1911, when it expanded into sporting goods. The company employed University of Illinois track coach Harry Gill to consult on its products, thus the GILL brand on the barrel. Carl coached the U of I baseball team from 1921-1934 (winning five Big 10 titles). So I'm dating the bat to that period, most likely mid 1920's.
This is the only Lundgren signature model bat of any kind I can find. Which makes it a pretty cool addition to the collection. It also looks pretty similar to the bat in the picture I have of Lundgren teaching class at U of I. The bat together with the photo and also an original coursebook of the coaching class Lundgren authored (which includes many photos of the 1921 U of I baseball players), will make an awesome display - one that I hope to someday exhibit at the county historical museum or Marengo Public Library.
Other University of Illinois memorabilia
Carl Lundgren Baseball Cards
Historical Marker in Marengo IL
Postcard showing "The Flats" field in Marengo IL where Lundgren first played ball
Last edited: