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Any insight on this Ted Williams knob?

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smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
2015 Topps Tier One Ted Williams Bat Knob


Ted Williams wore #9 exclusively, AFAIK, and it wouldn't be the size or weight. It looks like it was written in magic marker, which invented in the mid-50s, so that's OK. The wood looks old, FWIW, no shiny new-looking varnish. It could just be his 24th bat of the year, or a random thing, some code that only Ted knew. I really want this card, but I'll forever be wondering what it might mean. Can anyone shed any light on it?
 

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16christensen16

New member
Mar 23, 2015
1,635
1
spencer iowa
I have a rod carew from 2014 five star, that has a number 10 on the knob. Carew wore #29 not #10 . The 10 was put on in the same red sharpie and style as the ted Williams. I called topps and asked about my carew #10 . Topps response was.... "we don't make mistakes"

My original thought was they put the wrong knob in the cards. Now having seen two cards that look wrong with the same sharpie, I'm wondering if topps wrote on the knobs.

My advice is be very cautious.

I will post a pic of my carew later
 

joey12508

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
38,452
16,111
Winterfell
I have a rod carew from 2014 five star, that has a number 10 on the knob. Carew wore #29 not #10 . The 10 was put on in the same red sharpie and style as the ted Williams. I called topps and asked about my carew #10 . Topps response was.... "we don't make mistakes"

My original thought was they put the wrong knob in the cards. Now having seen two cards that look wrong with the same sharpie, I'm wondering if topps wrote on the knobs.

My advice is be very cautious.

I will post a pic of my carew later

:lol:
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
There was a Mike Schmidt knob from one of these kinds of products that also had some number I couldn't figure out. He wore #20 , but it was like #8 or something.
 

RStadlerASU22

Active member
Jan 2, 2013
8,881
11
I would not want it unless it matched said players number. Otherwise you will always think about it and be on your mind.

I've typed that and deleted it 3 times today as I didn't want to deter the person wanting it, but that's exactly how I'd feel.

Ryan
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
Numbers on bat knobs such as this are nothing more than a way for the player to identify their own gamer in the bat rack. Sizes, serial numbers etc are typically burned into the knob and would not typically be written in marker and would have no real value to the ball player in identifying his own bat.

Many times players will use a bat of one player as their own meaning that if a teammate likes a players bat, in this case Ted Williams model bat, the teammate may ask the other player (Ted) if they can test out that model in a game. That player then will take the other players bat (again, in this case the Ted Williams model bat) and put their number on it in the bat rack so that they can use it. I can honestly say that a man as passionate about his bats as Ted Williams was, I just do not see him loaning out his own bat even to a teammate that was delivered to him personally to use in games. But lets say it did happen.....below is a list of the players that wore number 24 for the Red Sox during the time The Splendid Splinter played.

Joe Ginsberg (1961)
Don Buddin (1956-1959)
Gene Mauch (1956-1957)
Pete Daley (1955)
Tom Herrin (1954)
Russ Kemmerer (1954)
Dick Brodowski (1952)
Randy Gumpert (1952)
Paul Hinrichs (1951)
Harley Hisner (1951)
Jim McDonald (1950)
Jim Piersall (1950)
Merl Combs (1949-1950)
Wally Moses (1946-1948)
Frankie Pytlak (1946)
Jim Bucher (1944)
Lou Lucier (1944)
Andy Karl (1943)
Danny Doyle (1943)
Bill Butland (1942)
Herb Hash (1941)
Nels Potter (1941)
Stan Spence (1940)

I think if this was indeed a Ted Williams "model" bat it was not used by him but one of the players listed above. I personally would never buy this card as a Ted Williams gamer knob.
 

joey12508

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
38,452
16,111
Winterfell
Im no expert but i wouldnt buy it with that number. I have one gamer having the wrong number would bother me.





Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

mlbsalltimegreats

New member
Aug 7, 2008
6,772
3
I believe that bats With the red sharpie are batting practice bats used by said player, then someone from their team used the bat afterwards.
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
Yeah, I pretty much decided against bidding. Could be anyone's bat, not just a Red Sox even. Of course, the same could be said of any GU card, but I ate that grain of salt long ago. That there is info that makes it seem so specifically NOT a Williams bat makes it tougher to deal with. Looking at several other Williams knobs is sufficient to make me pass.
 

RStadlerASU22

Active member
Jan 2, 2013
8,881
11
Yeah, I pretty much decided against bidding. Could be anyone's bat, not just a Red Sox even. Of course, the same could be said of any GU card, but I ate that grain of salt long ago. That there is info that makes it seem so specifically NOT a Williams bat makes it tougher to deal with. Looking at several other Williams knobs is sufficient to make me pass.

There will be other ones, it just make you think Ted when you see it.

Ryan
 

Brewer Andy

Active member
Aug 10, 2008
9,634
21
Seems this exact scenario is popping up more frequently in recent years with Topps as the available GU dwindles or changes hands less frequently. Countless examples of similar odd numbering and I wouldn't want any of them either


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
While I'm on the subject, what do you think of these, also from 2016 Museum
attachment.php

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They look like straight up replica jersey swatches to me, although I've yet to find a source.
 

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mlbsalltimegreats

New member
Aug 7, 2008
6,772
3
While I'm on the subject, what do you think of these, also from 2016 Museum
attachment.php

attachment.php

attachment.php

They look like straight up replica jersey swatches to me, although I've yet to find a source.

They are not replica jerseys, that is nameplate stitching from a pair of ted williams pants from 1960. He wore size 38. The people listing them are uninformed.


Sent from my XT555C using Tapatalk 2
 

smapdi

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
4,397
221
Ah, I couldn't figure out what the 38 meant, thanks. Still, they look a little odd. So clean and tight, versus other legit ones I found. And the plain swatches on the middle one are so bright and the weave is different so they don't look like the same fabric.
 

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