PDA

View Full Version : Pujols Game Issued Bat - ASI



bigtruck260
10-07-2007, 11:08 PM
Just saw this one on eBay. In an earlier thread, there was a discussion about replica bats that looked much like issued bats - they had no model number though...and I thought they had a number on the knob (07, etc.) symbolizing the year manufactured. This bat has no model number - before I bid, I want to make sure that this is a true issued bat.

In my experience, asking a seller about an item like this is touchy...like you are accusing them of being shady. The other thing is the numbers written on the bottom and in the cup. I have a bunch of Cardinal bats, and none have a number written in blue sharpie....

The signature is 100% authentic, no doubts there.

Check it out when you have a minute. Thanks, Dave

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALBERT-PUJOLS-SIGNED-GAME-ISSUED-BAT-CARDINALS-ASI_W0QQitemZ180167033696QQihZ008QQcategoryZ27261Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

05whitesox
10-07-2007, 11:35 PM
Looks To Me The Bat Is Actually Game Used Due To The Fact Is Has The Mlb Player Symbol On The Bat With Tpx Which Ive Never Seen On A Replica Bat So I Would Say That It Is 100% Authentic

05whitesox
10-07-2007, 11:36 PM
Looks To Me The Bat Is Actually Game Used Due To The Fact Is Has The Mlb Player Symbol On The Bat With Tpx Which Ive Never Seen On A Replica Bat So I Would Say That It Is 100% Authentic
IF YOU CHECK OUT GETTY IMAGES AND LOOK UP AARON ROWAND YOU WILL SEE HE TOO HAS HIS NUBER IN HIS BAT CUP ALSO

kingjammy24
10-07-2007, 11:53 PM
dave,

here are some excellent articles about pujols bats:

http://webpages.charter.net/birdbats/Birdbats/Notes%20and%20Articles/Pujols%20bat%20buyers%20guide.htm

http://webpages.charter.net/birdbats/Birdbats/Player%20Models/pujols.htm

http://webpages.charter.net/birdbats/Birdbats/Notes%20and%20Articles/Pujols%20Bat%20Use.htm

rudy.

BMH
10-07-2007, 11:58 PM
All our game issued bats have the players model number on the barrel...period.

Second, It's an Ash bat, he hasn't ordered Ash from us in a very long time.

Third, it looks like a C271 from what I can see, he's never used one.

BMH
10-08-2007, 12:00 AM
Don't quote me on that last one, the barrel doesn't look like it flares out enough to be an I13L.

kingjammy24
10-08-2007, 12:02 AM
Looks To Me The Bat Is Actually Game Used Due To The Fact Is Has The Mlb Player Symbol On The Bat With Tpx Which Ive Never Seen On A Replica Bat So I Would Say That It Is 100% Authentic

tons of retail LVS bats have the mlb logo with the tpx symbol. ta da:

http://www.louisvilleslugger.com/baseball/wood/gamep72dj.html

http://www.louisvilleslugger.com/baseball/wood/gamepc271kg.html

for anyone seriously interested in collecting game-used bats, i think purchasing vince malta's newest book is imperative:

https://www.gameuseduniverse.com/store/

you probably couldn't find a better way to spend $39.95. i believe it's also available on ebay. after reading the book, you'll find there's a lot more to game-used bats than an mlb or tpx logo.

rudy.

Birdbats
10-08-2007, 08:05 AM
This bat was made to be autographed, not used. Looks like a previous owner wasn't satisfied with a nicely signed Pujols bat -- they tried to make it look used. The "5" on each end was not written by Pujols or the Cardinals clubhouse staff; not even close to what you'd expect to see (the blue also isn't correct). What a waste -- I bet this was a great bat when it was mint and signed.

bigtruck260
10-08-2007, 11:36 AM
My thoughts too. Is that the ASI that is listed in many collection publications? It's the main reason I asked about the bat in the first place...if it is, then they are risking cred. by listing such a bat - and provenance that does not exist. I knew Jeff would chime in about the blue sharpie...it just does not happen like that in STL. Numbers are almost always in black - or silver on black...and on a few occasions, I have seen gold on dark brown bats in the late 90's.

A replica bat such as this one is - signed by Albert might fetch a few hundred bucks. Now, I wouldn't want it in my collection.

Thanks for the help guys!

Dave

jshortt
10-08-2007, 01:34 PM
I just wanted to say thanks to you guys for your help on my Pujols game used X Bat issue I had last month. Even though nobody could say anything for sure, I pulled the trigger, and it passed PSA/DNA. Now, hopefully, I can get Albert to sign it.

I'm thinking about making the trip from Cincinnati to StL for the Winter Warm-up. Does anybody know if Albert will sign bats if you manage to get a ticket for his line?

Thanks,
Josh

Birdbats
10-08-2007, 02:57 PM
Albert never signs bats at the Winter Warmup. For $150, you can get a ball or flat signed (at least that was the price last year). I doubt the policy on bats will change this year, especially now that Albert is under contract with UDA.

bigtruck260
10-08-2007, 02:59 PM
Nope. Albert will not sign anything but 8x10's and baseballs...UD has put the cabash on it - and I am not sure if Albert wants to sign them anyway. The only way to get Albert to sign your bat is to marry into his family and wait.:D

Seriously. I have been to his restaraunt during lunch and watched how he is mobbed when he comes out from his private room - he is polite...and usually signs 10-20% of the crap put before him...no bats though. At Pujols 5, coasters are the medium of choice. If you bring your bat, call me and I will produce a photo-documentary for GUU.

Still - come out to the warmup. It is worth your time...kind of like a mini Midwest National. It can be crowded, overpriced and stressful - but you will enjoy yourself.

Dave

70to66
10-08-2007, 03:22 PM
I have a pujols bat and tried to trade him a painting of him that looked so real that unless you were real close to it you would think it was a photo, to sign my bat. We ended up trading 4 sweet spot full sig signed balls for the painting. He said he could not sign bats due to a contract? That was in 2004.

bigtruck260
10-08-2007, 10:27 PM
...and I don't think he had a contract with UD until the end of 2006. He sold everything on his Foundation Website. He knows how valuable his signature is, and is aware of the fraudulent activity associated with it. Even at shows in STL, you only see a few true Pujols sigs. The rest? Purchased from eBay with a COA:D .

Not knocking Albert. He is quite the philanthropist...just gets a little edgy around the fans and media. The world local media use is "surly".

Maybe one day you will find Albert at a Tri-Star show, and he will sign your bat. You can tell him how you waited 20 years...by that time, you may need an armed guard to walk you through the line...or if he gets traded to the Cubs you can take it to the batting cages (JK):)

jshortt
10-09-2007, 08:24 AM
haha, thanks guys. I had heard that Albert really didn't like signing bats, but didn't know if he made an exception for the Winter Warm-up since everybody was paying him. I figured it was a personal thing that he could pawn off on a 'contract,' as from what I have heard, he has ALWAYS been weird about it, not just recently.

I might still take the chance. I have a friend in StL that I need to visit anyway. Maybe I can beg him/tell him he can personalize it, etc. On another note, does he give the full A.Pujols 5 signature at the Warm-up, or just the standard APj that I see most of the time?

Thanks,
Josh

bigtruck260
10-09-2007, 11:09 AM
You get the nice one at the WW - he does not always include the "5" though. Kind of a crap shoot. You don't get the stadium scribble when you are a paying customer.

kingjammy24
10-09-2007, 11:36 AM
Looks like a previous owner wasn't satisfied with a nicely signed Pujols bat -- they tried to make it look used. The "5" on each end was not written by Pujols or the Cardinals clubhouse staff; not even close to what you'd expect to see (the blue also isn't correct).

according to the ASI ad, i'm not sure there was a previous owner. the ad states "This bat was not game used however it was made for Albert to be used and then given to us before he had the chance to use it." it almost sounds like it went straight from LVS (or Pujols) to ASI. this would certainly be consistent with ASI's claims that it "obtains 99% of the items from the athletes firsthand".

i'm perplexed by the black rack marks. if the bat wasn't ever really game-issued how did the black rack marks get there?

both the #5 and the rack marks suggest that not only did Pujols take possession of the bat, but that it was also placed in bat rack(s) waiting to be used by Pujols. right before Pujols could use it though, the ebay ad states, ASI received it. if it's determined that the model is wrong and the #5 is wrong, then wouldn't it also stand to reason that the rack marks aren't legit? if this is the case and ASI itself states it recieved the bat before Pujols used it, you have to wonder who added the rack marks and #5. afterall, if ASI "obtains 99% of the items from the athletes firsthand", then it seems that they likely obtained this from Pujols himself. If that's the case and the model, #5, and rack marks are all not legit, then ....

rudy.

cards-bats
10-09-2007, 11:54 AM
I've got a bat almost exactly the same as the ASI bat. Full sig on a M9 bat without a model #. The bat has a #5 on the knob and black rack marks on the barrel of the bat.
I bought my bat from Grey Flannel several years ago and they told me that it was used by Albert in BP. I've since asked them about the bat and they keep telling me to send it to John Taube. No idea how the LOA would read from JT stating that I have a show bat that shows BP use & is autographed, but hey...I'm the sucker that bought it in the first place.

cards-bats
10-09-2007, 11:56 AM
Here is the reply that I got from ASI when I asked them about this particular bat.... hmmm.....


This bat is not a show bat. This bat came directly from Albert himself

http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gif http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gif
http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gif - asi-auctions

kingjammy24
10-09-2007, 11:57 AM
cards-bats,

does your bat have any ball marks?

rudy.

bigtruck260
10-09-2007, 11:59 AM
Then....we get back to why I posted this item in the first place. There are some questions that need to answered by ASI, who is a pretty reputable company. We have a LS guy telling us that the model/wood is incorrect, and it is a replica bat. There is a bona-fide Cards bat expert in or midst that confirms my assumptions that the blue sharpie numbers are dissimilar to anything that I have ever seen out of the Cards clubhouse. It is a really interesting auction...the bat rack marks are perplexing, but I wonder how easy it would be to put rack marks on a bat...

Again, the sig looks to be 100% genuine.

Here is the link again in case anyone missed it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALBERT-PUJOLS-SIGNED-GAME-ISSUED-BAT-CARDINALS-ASI_W0QQitemZ180167033696QQihZ008QQcategoryZ27261Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cards-bats
10-09-2007, 12:11 PM
Rudy,

No ball marks on my bat. Here are some pics.

Jolan

bigtruck260
10-09-2007, 12:18 PM
Just my humble opinion...the "5" on the knob looks suspect too.
Great bat, nice sig.

cards-bats
10-09-2007, 12:34 PM
I would agree on the "5."

Doesn't look right to me.

-Jolan

Birdbats
10-09-2007, 01:34 PM
i'm perplexed by the black rack marks. if the bat wasn't ever really game-issued how did the black rack marks get there?

It's been my experience that black marks like these are not caused by bat racks, but rather by black bats placed next to natural bats. When the natural bat is pulled from the box/bag, it rubs against the black bat and a streak is transfered. So, my hunch is this bat never saw the inside of a bat rack -- it simply was rubbing against a black bat at some point.

bigtruck260
10-09-2007, 02:34 PM
Makes sense Jeff.

So, we have a Grey Flannel auction LOA that might be incorrectly written AND a prominent seller (ASI) stating in an auction description facts that can not be proven.

The most important post here is from BMH who stated that ALL PLAYER MODEL GAME BATS have the model number. Everything else is a replica. Both are great looking bats, with a little "history" behind them.

I just wish we could convince ASI to re-write their description, but somehow, i doubt they will sacrifice a few hundred bucks to chance the description to "replica model"...

kingjammy24
10-09-2007, 03:11 PM
There are some questions that need to answered by ASI, who is a pretty reputable company.

i'm not sure if you were being facetious or not. have you read these threads?

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=10826

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=6964

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5616

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5577

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=6215

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=2040

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=4732

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=10897

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=10806

after seeing the shenanigans pulled by ASI over the past few years, "reputable" is the last word that comes to my mind.

rudy.

kingjammy24
10-09-2007, 03:15 PM
I bought my bat from Grey Flannel several years ago and they told me that it was used by Albert in BP.

it was used by pujols in BP yet has no ballmarks. so pujols took it into the cage and didn't manage to hit any balls at all?

it's been awhile since i've seen a player strike out in BP.

rudy.

kingjammy24
10-09-2007, 03:18 PM
http://webpages.charter.net/birdbats/Birdbats%20Graphics/AP%20Knobs.JPG

rudy.

bigtruck260
10-09-2007, 03:51 PM
Someone picked up on my sarcasm. I'm not going to bash anyone here...;)

GrndSlm
10-09-2007, 05:24 PM
Just my opinion, but I was always under the impression that all player game bats have the model numbers on the barrell. Most players order issued replica bats to give away and any other requests. In fact, I was at Placido Polanco's golf tournament and Albert had the EXACT bats there to sign for the raffle. Now, these were ash bats with the exact barrell as the ebay bat in question. I personally spoke to him and he informed me that the only bats he signs , for the public, are those issued models. He does sign for family and friends from what other players have told me.

thanks,
Juan Iglesias
GrndSlm@aol.com