Eckstein bat warning. At this year's Winter Warmup, I got David Eckstein to sign a bat belonging to a friend of mine. When I presented the bat, David examined it closely, especially an area on the handle that seemed to bother him. He told me it was the fourth alleged game-used bat he’d signed that day and that he didn’t give his bats away. He never said it was bad, but that was the suggestion.

The next morning, I saw another friend and fellow collector who had been in David’s line behind me the previous day. He told me that Eckstein studied his bat and offered the same verdict he’d given me regarding the bat I had signed. Ironically, both bats were purchased from the same eBay seller.

When I returned to my table – which was adjacent to the table where Eckstein’s family was selling his new book, Have Heart – I discussed the situation with David’s sister, Christine. She told me she and David had talked the night before about the supposed game-used bats he’d signed on Saturday. According to Christine, David said most (if not all) exhibited the same signs of counterfeit use. While the 22 on the knob appeared legit, the use was not.

Now, I know some players have a reputation for denying that any bat placed in front of them is one of their gamers. They've grown weary of collectors profiting by selling their equipment. That's not the case here; David is not that kind of guy. He's the real deal, and his concern is genuine regarding fans spending their hard-earned money on items that are not legitimate. Christine asked me to share those concerns with other collectors.

So, if you have the opportunity to purchase an Eckstein Cardinals bat, make sure it's being offered by a trustworthy source, such as a legitimate charity. If you purchase one from some unknown eBay seller, you may not be buying what you think you're buying.

As an aside, it was a true pleasure having David's family as "neighbors" for three days. His parents, sisters, brothers-in-law and wife all spent time at the booth selling and signing copies of David's book. You couldn't possibly meet a nicer group of individuals. I encourage you to visit David's Web site and to purchase his inspirational new book, Have Heart. I also encourage you to learn more about organ donation and autism, causes that are very personal for the Eckstein family.