|
 |
J. Josselson's
"base bag with cover," |
|
 |
Beneath MLB base
manufactured by Rawlings |
|
 |
|
Jack Corbett Original Hollywood Base |
|
 |
|
Beneath 2004 ALDS Game Used Base |
 |
|
Inlaid Logos |
 |
|
 |
|
Beneath 2017 Game Used Base |
|
|
|
|
| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
July 2021 |
|
|
Jack Corbett Hollywood Bases Covering
the Bags |
 |
|
Steven KeyMan |
|
|
-
By Steven KeyMan |
|
Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
|
|
|
|
| |
The earliest specifications mentioned
in 19 century baseball playing rules is
that the bases were to cover one square
foot, made of canvas, painted white and
filled with sand or saw-dust. All bases
were to be fastened to the field at
each corner. By 1877 the size of first,
second and third base was changed to 15
inches square. This would be the
standard size to this day. Spalding
sold regulation bases in their 1883
catalog. |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
RULE 12. in 1943 reads the bases
must each be a white canvas bag 15
inches square filled with soft material
and securely fastened in place at the
points. The bases, except home plate
are best constructed of canvas bags
filled with sawdust and should be
attached to pegs driven in the ground.
Bases must be not less than 3 nor more
than 5 inches thick.
John "Jack" P. Corbett a minor league
ballplayer from 1887 to 1917 felt that
the bases were too
loose, and were not safe. He came up
with a system in the late 1930s to make
bases both tough to move when they're
in play and easily removable when
they're not. The base, tapered so that
it could hug the dirt, had a metal
attachment at the bottom that was
placed in a metal tube sunk in concrete
below the ground.
Major League Baseball adopted Corbett's rubber bases for use in games in
1940. They were to serve to cut down
injuries, give the runners less of a
jolt sliding, and hold there shape
better than the canvas sacks.
After he abandoned an application
filed on October 14, 1941, John P.
Corbett, patented his base in 1944. Approved in 1946, the object of the invention was to
provide a baseball base which instead
of being in the form of a cushion
stuffed with padding; comprise a rigid
base covered with a layer of cushioning
material, and provide a means for
anchoring the base with great accuracy
in the position with respect to the
base lines of a baseball diamond
required by the rules, and with such
security as to eliminate all danger of
its becoming dislodged from that
position during the course of a game.
In 1951 John P. Corbett filled another
patent to improve and simplify the
means for attaching the bases to their
respective anchoring posts, which
assist in locating the base in the
proper position with a high degree of
accuracy, and which are so designed
that they are completely concealed
inside the cover of the base where they
are least liable to cause injury to a
player.
The patent was approved in 1953 and featured anchoring straps and buckles
to secure the body to the post, which
is then hidden by a removable cover
that will take most of the wear from
the players cleats, providing a much
greater length of time before it had to
be replaced.
 The removable cover was patented in 1950 by Joseph Josselson, which
is also referenced in the file of
Corbett's patent. Josselson's "base bag
with cover," provides a
reinforced wear resisting cover for
bases which protects it from the hard
usage from cleats on the players shoes,
which was considerably less expensive
than to replace the entire base. This
idea seems to stem from a patent filed
in 1939, by William M. Broxton.
Citing that current bases use straps passing over the top of the bag and
extend around and beneath, where they
are joined to appropriate anchoring
spikes, is not safe for base runners.
Broxton's base with a convex top, concealed the straps which can trip the runner
or baseman who often get their feet
tangled in them. The base having
a curved top of gradual convexity
eliminates sharp edges and straight
walls, presenting a smooth banked
surface upon which the baseman or
runner cannot stumble and will not have
to break his speed for fear of becoming
injured.
The following years saw many patents
and innovations come and go. Some were
developed and others such as the base
bag cover were abandoned. One piece
rubber bases were produced for use in
the major leagues soon after.
This ealy1980's base used in the major leagues was manufactured by
Rawlings. This style base dates back to
at least 1970. It measures 15" x15" x
2" at the edges and 3.5" in the
center. These bags were often painted
white for aesthetics. By 1988 "Jack
Corbett Original Hollywood" logo bases
were produced.
In 1988 "Jack Corbett Original
Hollywood" embossed logo was added to the top of
the base. It has been written why the
bases were called Hollywood bases when
Jack Corbett had no connection to
Hollywood. He didn't, the bases were
name after the company that produced
them. This logo was used until 1995.
Then in 1996 Schutt Sports acquired Hollywood Bases Inc., of Marysville,
Calif. "Hollywood" had been a supplier
to the Major Leagues since 1939. In
1996 Schutt added there own logo.
The new logo reads; "Original Hollywood
Base, Jack Corbett, ®Schutt Sports"
with an illustration of runner sliding
into a base on the far right. Below
features the Official MLB logo. Inlaid
plastic logos were added to the four
sides of the bases in 2000.
This 2004 ALDS Yankees Minnesota Game-used Base, features four, 1-1/4 x
2-1/4 inch inlaid Logo plaques on the sides,
two Official MLB logos opposite of one
another, and two orange American League
Division Series 2004 Official logo on
the other two sides.
In 2009 Schutt Sports changed the logo
again. To the right they Added "Schutt™"
with an arrow pointing to "Original
Hollywood Bases®, Jack Corbett®" with a
line and an illustration of runner
sliding into a base on the far right.
"Hollywood Bases®" again appears below
the line, and features the Official MLB
logo below that. The embossed Schutt
Trademark logo is still used today.
This Game-Used Base is from the 2017 New York Subway Series, Mets vs
Yankees, at Yankee Stadium. The
base features four, 1-1/4 x 6-1/2 inch
inlaid Logo plaques.
on the sides, two Mets vs Yankees logos, opposite of one another, and two
New York Yankees logos on the other two
sides.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KeyMan
Collectibles Collectors Corner
- Keep up with the latest collecting news,
announcements, and articles of interest on the
webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
Memorabilia Facebook Group -
Post Questions and comments relating to
Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact
with other collectors or show off your
collection. |
|
| |
KeyMan
Collectibles Forum
- A great option for those that "Don't do
facebook" Post Questions and
comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and
Memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
