Monozygotic: Robin Yount Corked?

Dizzygotic’s is more like it!

A link to this auction was posted on Pat Neshek’s forum. The item is supposed to be a game-used, corked bat used by Brewers legend and Hall of Famer Robin Yount. I for one won’t pass any sort of judgement based on this one piece of evidence suggesting Yount was a “cheater”. For one, even though they have very good reason to believe the bat was used by Yount extensively, it’s still not like they took the bat right out of his hands and caught him red-handed. I don’t know much about the process of corking a bat, but theoretically couldn’t it have been done after he retired the bat? I’m not saying I think that’s the case either. I’m just saying their are too many possibilities to brand Yount a cheater.

This is a 1983-85 Robin Yount Louisville Slugger Professional Model Game Used Corked Bat. This bat dates to the 1983-85 period based on the Louisville Slugger centerbrand period, and the Louisville Slugger factory records, which indicate that Yount ordered the P72C 35″ no finish model bat during the entire 1983-85 centerbrand period. There are several orders of this model bat, made by Baseball Promotions, but based on the distinct ball marks and grain separation present along the top of the barrel, this bat has been attributed to one of the orders, which was sent to Yount himself. This P72C (Cupped Barrel) model bat currently weighs 34.4 ounces and measures 35 inches in length.

This bat exhibits heavy use with ball marks present on all sides of the barrel, but the majority of use visible along the top of the barrel as evidenced by the compressed grains. Blue ball marks, black bat rack marks adorn the barrel of this bat. Yount’s jersey number, 19, appears in black marker on both the knob and barrel end of the bat. The very interesting part of this bat, and what makes it special is the apparent corking, a trait banned by MLB rules, visible inside of the cupped barrel end, which slightly distorts the jersey number 19. The knob of this bat also has 1992 written on it in red ink, which indicates the date that this bat was obtained by a local Milwaukee collector.