Blog: August 24-August 30, 2009

August 25, 2009. Cards' 2009 first-round pick Shelby Miller threw at Busch this afternoon. He wore a red pre-game jersey with #09 on the back. This is consistent with last season, when top pick Brett Wallace took BP at Busch with #08 on his back. I wonder if next year's top draft choice will have the same number as the manager, or whether he'll be the only guy on the field wearing #10.

August 26, 2009. DeRosa used a black LS ash bat tonight. It's the first time I've noticed him using an ash bat instead of maple... Once again, five of the nine starters were using Marucci bats. DeRosa (LS), Ankiel (Rawlings), Holliday (Sam Bat) and Schumaker (X-Bat) were the nonconformists.

August 27, 2009. Gee, how many things are wrong with this McGwire bat on eBay? Well, the tar on the grip is wrong -- too clean near the knob, too uniform where it's gripped; the tar on the centerbrand doesn't extend far enough up the barrel; the die used to stamp the numbers in the knob is too large; Mac didn't write 25 on the knobs of his Cardinals bats; and the font on the barrel is consistent with 1999 and later -- a different font was used in 1998 (the A and R in MARK are where you can really see the difference). I guess the better question is, what's right with this bat?

August 28, 2009. A Pujols Diablo bat showed up on eBay today as a one-day auction. Though the seller says, "I got the bat from a player in the Cardinals minor league camp," I think it's more likely he bought it on eBay from another seller -- who ironically also got it from a player in the Cardinals minor league camp. Integrity? What's that?

August 29, 2009. A new batting helmet, the Rawlings S100, will be required in the minor leagues next season and will be optional equipment for major leaguers this September. The new helmet is larger and has more padding. It also is about 50 percent heavier than today's standard helmet. However, it will absorb the impact of a 100-mph pitch; standard helmets are rated at 70 mph. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if any Redbirds are early adopters of the new lid.

August 30, 2009. I often mention the Authentic Store at Busch Stadium in this blog, but many readers from out of town likely have never seen the store itself. So, I took a few photos to give you an idea how the team markets its game-used items. Of course, they sell cracked bats and jerseys. There also are plenty of bases, baseballs and pennants behind the counter. Inside the case, there are caps, pants and other items. There usually is a batting helmet or two available. A case of autographed items takes up an entire wall. And special pieces, like these All-Star Game chairs (used in general seating areas of the park), often find their way into the shop.