Blog: September 14-September 20, 2009

September 14, 2009. Trever Miller almost had his first plate appearance since 1999. He had a bat in hand -- it looked like a Jason LaRue model ash LS -- and went to the plate, only to be called back for a pinch hitter. What a rip!... LaRue pinch hit using a Gwynn-finished LS M9, a new bat for him... A 1984 Willie McGee jersey was listed on eBay today and sold quickly for $750.

September 15, 2009. I have listed several items on eBay, all of which end next Sunday night. In addition to a Tim McCarver game-used bat, I'm also selling batting gloves, a few caps and two autographed Dennis Dove jerseys (one from the first Civil Rights Game). Bid early, bid often!

September 16, 2009. OK, Willie McGee collectors, I bet you don't have one of these. It's a game worn sock, autographed and framed with three cards and an SGA from Willie McGee Day at Busch. It can be yours for $75 plus shipping. Local pickup encouraged... Gee, look what SCP Auctions is trying to sell in its online store. This jersey has been discussed here before -- it lacks a name on back, which means Gibby didn't wear it in '62. Thought SCP sold this at its last auction. Guess not. Huh... Can wait to see what this sells for.

September 18, 2009. If you were the winner of this 1996 Rawlings Ray Lankford bat, please contact me... I was at the game tonight and perused the auction kiosks. There was a signed, game-used Ankiel road jersey and a signed, game-used Brendan Ryan bat (broken in two). I didn't see their eventual sale prices.

September 19, 2009. I received an e-mail from the person who won this Musial bat from a usually shady eBay dealer. He says after quizzing the seller and paying with PayPal for a little buyer protection, he had the bat shipped to him overnight. Lo and behold, the bat he received is the same bat from the photos. I'm happy for the buyer, who took a huge risk. But, I'm also happy to see the dealer in question has been reduced to selling $4,000 bats for $700.

September 20, 2009. When you attend games in person, you get to see things the TV misses. For example, Pujols broke a bat tonight making the third out of the inning. A fairly sizeable piece broke off the handle and landed in the dirt in front of the plate. The batboy retrieved the bat, but missed the sliver of wood. Noticing it was left behind, the umpire grabbed the wood and walked toward the dugout. But, instead of giving it to the batboy, he gave it to a field usher who had finished his shift and was leaving the field. As he exited, you could tell he was happy with his souvenir, showing it to three people along the way. Unfortunately, a salvageable Pujols bat cannot be repaired because the missing piece ended up with the wrong person.