Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger pattern bat for Bill Ewings

Hillerich & Bradsby, Louisville Slugger pattern bat with “Bill Ewings” stamped on the barrel dating from 1921 to 1929. No Major league or Negro League players are found by this name on the roster, however, we do find “William Ewing” on the rosters. The bat dates to the time this player is in the major and Negro leagues. It is not uncommon for names to be misspelled. The player William Ewing is often credited with starting Josh Gibson’s career (often called the black Babe Ruth.) During one game, Ewing, a rising star in the catcher position, and fan favorite hurt his hand during the game and had to sit out. His reliever was Josh Gibson. It is often said that this game was the end of Ewing’s career and the start of Gibson’s. Ewing started playing about 1920 for Cleveland, near where he was born. He played for The Homestead Grays, Albany, and St. Louis. After losing his catching spot to Gibson, he was traded to Albany where he played for a few years and retired. He died in 1979.