A buyer's guide to Mark McGwire game-used bats

Even though his reputation took a hit after the Congressional hearings on steroids, Mark McGwire remains a popular and collectible figure. The value of his bats has dropped significantly, but they still command high dollars and are still in demand. It's rare that a week goes by where someone doesn't ask me about a McGwire bat.

Identifying a St. Louis-era McGwire bat is much simpler than recognizing those of current Cardinals star Albert Pujols. Whereas Pujols uses several brands and models, McGwire used only one brand and model of bat during his Cardinals days. However, when you're talking game used as opposed to game model, that's where it can get tricky and the focus on characteristics becomes paramount. Fortunately, there are some distinct characteristics that distinguish Mark's real gamers from their imitators.

Perhaps the most important attribute is whether the bat is cracked or uncracked. Sources inside the Cardinals clubhouse and the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum maintain that McGwire would use a bat until it cracked. This is a very important consideration when buying a McGwire bat. If a McGwire bat can still be used, chances are that it either was lifted from the Cardinals bat rack or it was given as a gift from Mac or the Cardinals before it was used. During and after Mac's homerun chase in 1998, many McGwire bats apparently went straight from Mark's locker into the hands of acquaintances and players who were hounding Mark for bats and other items. Others almost surely disappeared without Mark's knowledge, especially when the Cards were visiting out-of-town ballparks.

McGwire was known to sometimes give legitimate used and uncracked bats to special friends, such as former college coaches, but those bats almost always were signed and personalized. Certain milestone bats also made it to museums -- including the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown -- in uncracked condition. They, too, always were signed and sometimes included special notations.

If a McGwire bat is uncracked -- and it didn't come directly from Mac, Tony LaRussa or the Cardinals organization -- you should be suspicious about whether McGwire actually ever used it in a game. Bats that are cracked or have checking/deadwood are preferable when shopping for a McGwire Cardinals gamer. Here are some other factors to consider:

Manufacturer: McGwire used only unfinished Rawlings bats during his years with the Cardinals. Legitimate Mac bats always will have "CARDINALS" under his name on the barrel; if it says "PROFESSIONAL MODEL" or anything else, it's not a professional game bat. I once saw the Cardinals sell a black Rawlings McGwire bat with red markings, but was told it never saw game use. I've also seen Young Bat Company bats with Mac's name on the barrel, but again, he didn't use them. During his rookie season, Mac apparently used some Louisville Slugger bats, but after that, McGwire favored Rawlings almost exclusively.

Model: In his Oakland days, McGwire typically used a 256B. But, McGwire's weapon of choice with the Cardinals was the MAC 25. Bill Steele, Rawlings' resident bat expert, says McGwire's MAC 25 model is 34.5" in length and weighs approximately 33 ounces. The barrel is 2.5" in diameter; the handle is 31/32" in diameter; and the knob is 1 31/32" in diameter. This is slightly different than the 256B model, which had a 1" handle diameter. Steele isn't sure when his company turned the first MAC 25 bat, but suggests that Mark's first few Cardinals bats in 1997 may have been 256B models. Whether it's a MAC 25 or a 256B, the model number will be stamped into the knob.

Rawlings professional bats have another, smaller set of numbers stamped justbelow the model number. These digits represent the batch and year code.Typically, the stamp will show three numbers, a space and then two more numbers. Those final two numbers represent the year the bat was manufactured. For instance, if the batch and year code reads "145 99," then the bat was made in 1999.

According to Steele, the first three digits -- the batch codes -- coincide with the order numbers assigned by Rawlings. For example, if the Cardinals placed the year's first order with Rawlings -- and requested 12 bats each for four different players -- all 48 bats would have the 001 batch number. The next order, say two dozen bats for a couple of players on the Angels, would be stamped with the 002 code. During most years, Steele says, the batch numbers reach into the 800s or 900s. However, in 1998, demand created by the McGwire/Sosa homerun chase pushed the number of orders beyond a thousand. As a result, according to Steele, some bats from that season have a four-digit batch code followed by "98."

Steele acknowledges that Rawlings made bats for McGwire in 1998 after the season ended, but those bats are stamped with the MAC 25 model number only. They do not have batch numbers or year codes on the knob.

Steele wouldn't speculate how many bats Rawlings made for McGwire after he joined the Cards 1997, though the number is substantial (Steele committed to review McGwire's order records and provide more information at a later date). However, Steele says the typical major league player receives about 10 dozen bats per season. Contrast that number with these comments made by former Cardinals equipment manager Buddy Bates, whom I interviewed in January 2004. "Mark didn't use many bats [in 1998] because he didn't break them often. He always hit the ball right where it should be hit," Buddy said. "I think that over the course of the year, Mark probably didn't have more than four dozen bats. And that's not many. He would use them until they cracked."

So, if Mac received 100-120 bats in 1998 and used roughly 50 during the season, it's logical to assume that many bats shipped to the Cardinals were given away to (or stolen by) people during the frenzy of the homerun chase, late in the season and after the season.

I once assumed that low batch numbers were preferable to high batch numbers, at least in 1998. My assumption was that, as McGwire got closer to Maris' record, more bats were being requested to be given away -- and those bats would have high batch numbers. So, the higher the number, the less chance it actually was used in a game. While there is some truth in that assumption -- the Cardinals did place more orders for McGwire bats as the year progressed -- the fact is that McGwire did use bats with high batch numbers in 1998.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has two 1998 McGwire bats in its collection. The bat used to hit homeruns 56-62 -- from September 1-8 -- was from batch number 769 98 (left, on display at the HOF). And the bat used to hit homeruns 66-70 -- from September 25-27 -- was from batch number 909 98 (photo at the top of the article, along with bats used by Ruth, Sosa and Maris).

Since McGwire hit number 70 in his last at bat of the season, can we assume any bat with a batch number higher than 909 was never used? It's not certain, but it is reasonable. If nothing else, the fact that McGwire hit 12 of his last 15 dingers with just two bats over the course of one month supports Bates' contention that Mark didn't use a large number of bats.

One more interesting fact about batch numbers. On August 5, 1999, McGwire hit his 5ooth homerun using a bat from batch number 382 99. Relative to the previous year, that's a seemingly low batch number for that point of the season. The one McGwire gamer in the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum collection is from batch number 412 99 (date of use unknown).

Pine tar: One of the more distinguishing characteristics of a McGwire Cardinals-era gamer is the pine tar. Unlike Albert Pujols, McGwire was fond of the stuff and laid it on thick. A typical bat will have pine tar -- or at least darkened wood -- about 24" up from the knob. I've also noticed a distinct pattern.

From the knob up about 7 ½", the tar is thick, almost chunky. But it's not even -- it's worn off in the front (the labeled side) more than the back. In fact, you might even be able to see where Mac's fingers gripped the bat (below). From that 7 ½" point to about 12-14", the pine tar is worn off almost completely. Then, at the 12-14" point, the wood gets dark again up to the 24-25" mark. Depending on how long he used the bat, the tar can be almost as heavy and chunky as the area near the knob.The Rawlings logo sometimes is obscured by the coating.

Many McGwire bats on the market do not have heavy coats of pine tar. Of course, most available Mac bats are not cracked. I believe there's a correlation, suggesting many bats were taken out of circulation before they were used by McGwire.

Knob: As discussed previously, MAC 25 should be stamped into the knob, along with a three-digit batch number and a two-digit year code. Mark did not write his uniform number or anything else on his knobs while in St. Louis. However, every Cardinals McGwire gamer that I've ever seen has "McGwire 33" or "33 McGwire" written small, in pencil or ink pen, above the model number. The "33" refers to the bat's weight.

The shape of the knob also is something to note when identifying a McGwire gamer. "With Mark, we had to get the knob just right," Steele says. "He wrapped his pinkie down below the knob and it had to feel just right to him." The knobs on replica bats (right, bottom), made to be auctioned by the Cardinals Care charity, have an entirely different shape than the real MAC 25 model (the replica bats also are only 34 inches in length). So, if someone doctored a replica by stamping a model number and batch/year code into the knob, you should be able to identify the fake by the shape of the knob.

Other characteristics: Examine the ball marks on any McGwire, and remember that National League balls had black ink through the 1999 season. In 2000, the new MLB balls had blue ink. If you see a bat dating to 2000 or 2001 and it has black ball marks (I have), it could be a batting practice bat (or worse). I've also been told by Cardinals sources that Mac used a different bat for BP than he used in games. I posed the question to them after seeing a McGwire bat with the word "BLEM" transferred on it in reverse. "BLEM" indicates the ball was stamped to show it was blemished; these less-than-perfect balls sometimes are used in BP. Since a blemished ball would not have been used during a game, the bat in question would be considered a BP bat.

Source: Many McGwire bats sold at auction in recent years do not have the key characteristics of use noted in this article. In fact, the descriptions often boast that they're "Uncracked!" -- as if that's a good thing. Bats in these auctions usually have LOAs from respected sources like PSA/DNA or MEARS. While those letters will tell you a bat is a McGwire model consistent with factory records, and that it shows use, they're usually careful not to say that McGwire used the bat.

Unfortunately, eBay and auction houses, like Mastro and Leland's, are about the only sources for Mac bats these days. Because he's been retired since the end of the 2001 season, it's unlikely you'll be seeing any more game-used Mac bats from the Cardinals or LaRussa's ARF. However, if you have a chance to get one that originated with the Cards or ARF -- and the provenance is in order -- you should consider that your best bet.

Autographs: Because Mac rarely signs bats, a signed gamer is a real find and worth a premium compared to an unsigned bat. It seems that when he does sign bats, he takes his time and gives a full signature, not the "half" or "three-quarters" signatures he gave at the ballpark or sometimes affixed to balls and flats. Mark's signature evolved through the years, but by the time he got to St. Louis, it was pretty consistent through the end of his career.

Usually, you can date Mark's autograph with the notation he typically added below it. When he joined the Cardinals, he'd sign "STL 25" under his name. Late in the 1998 season, he started writing "98" instead, though occasionally still used "STL 25." After breaking Maris' record, it became common for Mac to add "70" under his name. In 2000, he wrote "2000," and in 2001, he wrote "01'." (Note that he consistently and errantly put the apostrophe after the "1" instead of before the "0.") For other examples of legitimate McGwire autographs through the years, check out Randall Hahn's site, www.mcgwire.com.

Final thoughts: Bat expert Dave Bushing once told me if he was in the market for a real McGwire game-used bat, he'd buy one from Mac's Oakland days. His point was that there was less room for error. There weren't as many "gift" bats, as many stolen bats and as many outright fakes in those pre-Cardinals days. While collecting McGwire bats became much more desirable in 1998, it also became significantly more difficult.

For many collectors, though, a bat with a green band around it just isn't enough. They want a Cardinals bat because that's the jersey he wore when he and Sammy Sosa thrilled a nation in the summer of '98. If you're one of these collectors, do your homework. Legitimate McGwire Cardinals bats are tough to find, but they're out there, and they can be yours for prices that are much lower than they were just two years ago.