A-ROD ALEX AL RODRIGUEZ RAWLINGS BIG STICK BLONDE BAT

Here is a blonde Rawlings Adirondack Professional Model baseball bat, alleged to have been signed by Alex "Al" Rodriguez.

We have to wonder if this is a forgery, yes. If it IS a forgery, it's not a very good one, is it? But, think about this..

While the signature does not very closely resemble current signatures on authenticated and professionally marketed collectible bats, I do know that a person's signature can change quite a bit, over time. With practice and repetition, a person's signature will generally become bolder and more fluid, especually if it is done on an irregular or difficult surface such as the curved surface of a bat. This would be, in my opinion, either a poor attempt at forgery, or a rookie bat from EARLIER in A Rod's career (If so, no certification would be available). Since most professional forgers are actually pretty good (almost certainly much, MUCH closer to current versions of his signature than this, and in fact, I have heard that even experts are not always able to tell the real from the fake), do not make the mistake of thinking that you can tell the difference so easily. And, since this bat shows every evidence of having been used in a game or practice, I would be inclined to believe that it is an authentic item, not a forgery. But, that's the chance you take, IF you want to buy this. Because I bought this from an estate (with lots of other baseball cards, etc. being sold, as well), and the former owner is presumably deceased, there is no way of knowing for sure.

This item does not come with a certificate of authenticity, and I cannot say if it is really signed by Al Rodriguez, but it was acquired from a large estate sale, and was part of a VERY large collection of baseball cards and other memorabilia of the sport. Not much else was signed. We did buy some cards, which we will also be listing, later on.

Please note that this price is final. I have removed the "Best Offer" option and this is as low as I go on the price. If nothing else, I can keep this bat handy, behind the front door, and if unwelcome people show up, I might get my money out of it that way (see Q/A section, below)! LOL..

Hey! I am just helping to sell this for my husband.

p.s... I don't know if it is significant or not, but there are some smudges of something dried on this bat. I did not want to clean it up, as I figured it might be part of the "provenance" and value of the item. It also has some obviously bumped and lightly dinged spots, so it's surely been used in a game or practice.

I just saw another signed Alex Rodriguez bat listed on eBay for $379, but with a COA. I figured that we could list this one for a lot less, and an Alex Rodriguez fan might get a good deal.