Baseball bat used by Willie Mays: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An Adirondack model 302 M63 baseball bat used by Willie Mays in the 1965 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The bat is made from white ash and has black writing on side. Black type near center of bat reads, [ADIRONDACK BATS, INC. / Northern / WhiteAsh / Adirondack / 302 / DOLGEVILLE, NEW YORK / MADE IN U.S.A. / Whip Action]. Type near end opposite of handle reads, [ADIRONDACK / Willie Mays / 1965 ALL STARS]. Etched into bottom of bat's handle is the model number [M63].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1965
• Manufactured by: Adirondack Bats, Inc., American
• Used by: Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, 1931 - 2024
• Type: bats
• Medium: white ash
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 35 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (88.9 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm)
• Place made: Dolgeville, New York, United States, North and Central America
• Place used: Bloomington, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Athletes
• Topic: Baseball
• Topic: Sports
• Object number: 2013.120.9
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The displayed image also has an explicit CC0 designation. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.