At Dodger Stadium, broken bats are a hit

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In this recession, how does paying top dollar for a broken item sound?

Well, the Art of the Game store at Dodger Stadium believes it’s a good idea and its sales prove it.

In the first two days, the store sold six game-used bats broken by Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Russell Martin at $199 apiece.

The appeal of a defective product?

‘It’s the charm of knowing that it’s something that a player used,’ said Carlos Lecanda, who works for the store located near the Vin Scully Press Box at Dodger Stadium.’The more [use] on it, the better. It adds more character to it.’

The bats are adorned with players’ names printed on the tip. Some are wrapped with tape to keep them from falling apart. And all of them have the fresh feeling of pine tar, which will keep your hands sticky up to an hour after a test swing.

To those who think those details don’t merit the hefty price tag, Lecanda will tell you passionately about the bat’s essence.

‘Each one tells a story by its cracks,’ he said, running his hand over a bat. ‘It’s like it has a spirit, and you own it.’

The store has shops in Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium and Staples Center.

-- Mario Aguirre