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MANUFACTURER
- Southwest MFG Co.
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The Southwest Manufacturing company
began the production of baseball and softball bats in
1944. The Winters Handle Company
located at Benton, Arkansas,
manufactures of all kinds of striking
handles, burned down in October of
1943. The company then constructed a
new plant in Little Rock, and began
turning out handles in December 1943 as
the Southwest Handle and Manufacturing
Company.
The Southwest Manufacturing Company produced three lines of baseball bats.
The Clipper No. 225 baseball bats which
include signature model endorsements of
minor league ballplayers such as; Carl
Terry, Lee Milam, whose baseball bats
are featured in the 1948 advertisement
below, and Earl Browne who played for
the Little Rock Travelers from
1932-1945 during his 22 year minor
league career.
The line of "Texas Leaguer" baseball bats include block letter last name
endorsements; Williams Model No. 230, Musial Model No. 230,
and Kurowski Model
No . 230. Last name endorsements,
followed by the words "Model," "Type,"
or "Style," indicates that the
manufacture did not have permission to
use the players name, and can sell for
about half the value of a signature
model. Rare bat labels in high demand
can save some, if not all the value or
more. The collectors value of a
baseball bat relies on the player
endorsement and will vary based on
player demand.
The line of Arkansas Traveler baseball bats are the most common, and
include; DiMaggio Models 252
(Vitalized), and the No. 275, Mize Model No.
275 (Vitalized), Carl Terry No. 251,
and
No. 275, Johnnie Day Signature model
No. 51, Soft-Ball bats No. 175, and No. 201,
and an Official Cork ball bat. There is
also an Arkansas Traveler Honus Wagner bat advertised in
a 1947 newspaper.
"Vitalized" which appears on some bats,
as adveriised gives "the bats that
Bone Rubbed Feel and Finish" ...similar
to Louisville sluggers "Powerized"
finsish. It was reported in the October 8, 1947 Sporting News;
that the barber pole-colored baseball
bat used by Arkansas native Dizzy Dean
in his last game with the Browns, was
made specially for him by the Southwest
Manufacturing Company.
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Southwest Manufacturing Co.
Baseball Bats |
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1946
Sporting News
Baseball Record
Book |
1947
Sporting News
Baseball Record
Book |
1948
Sporting News
Baseball Record
Book |
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
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