Stanley Maul laughs loudly and carries a big stick … actually it’s a very big baseball bat.
“It’s 5 feet long and weighs 10 pounds,” said Maul of Allen Park. “It’s a Budweiser promotional bat. I’ve been collecting sports memorabilia, mostly mirrors, for 50 years.
“The bat has autographs from the 1968 and 1984 world champion Tigers.”
And what autographs: Mickey Lolich, Jim Price, Willy Horton and Denny McLain, who flourished his autograph with “31-6,” his record that year.
“The lower portion of the bat has autographs from Lou Whitaker and Jack Morris,” said Maul, who has attended 55 consecutive Tigers Opening Days.
“I also have an autograph on the bat from Prince Fielder from down in Lakeland. He took me out to home plate and we had our photo taken together.”
One last bat anecdote: “When McLain signed the bat, I asked him if he would also put his prison number on it,” Maul said with a laugh.
“He said, ‘Hey, what kind of a joker are you?”
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