Rare Lou Gehrig lathe bat dating from the 1938 season. This bat, which bears no center brand or barrel stampings, originates from the H&B vault and was used by the company as a template for bats ordered by Gehrig. All the pertinent information is noted in grease paint on the barrel, including the order date: "35 oz. Lou Gehrig 7-9-38 N. Y. Amer. Lea." Written on the other side of the barrel is "Model 35 oz."

This lathe bat dates from Gehrig's final full season in baseball and, unbeknownst to him at the time, he was already suffering from ALS, the disease that would end his career the following year, and ultimately take his life in 1941. Gehrig normally used a heavier bat during his career, but in 1938 he was feeling weaker at the plate. A review of his H&B factory ordering records that year show him experimenting with numerous weights as he tried to come to grips with his unexpected loss of strength. The bats made for Gehrig from the offered lathe-bat template are specifically listed in his H&B ordering record as "His 7/09/38 round end." The bat measures 35 inches and includes the two lathe butts at then end of the barrel and knob.

Lou Gehrig game-used bats are not only rare, but often far outside the budget of most collectors. A bat such as this, while not used by Gehrig, has a direct lineage to his pro-model gamers and is an affordable alternative for an anyone wishing to add a "Gehrig" bat to his collection.