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View Full Version : Queston For Rob Steinmetz & Jeff Scott - Pujols Mizuno Bat



4cuda9er
12-17-2005, 09:10 PM
Rob, and Jeff..Need some of your expertise in regard to the Pujols Mizuno Game used Bat listed on Ebay..
eBay: ALBERT PUJOLS 2001 ROOKIE GAME USED BASEBALL BAT PSA (item 8739387703 en (http://cgi.ebay.com/ALBERT-PUJOLS-2001-ROOKIE-GAME-USED-BASEBALL-BAT-PSA_W0QQitemZ8739387703QQcategoryZ60596QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

It's has come up several times on this forum, and other sites, that Pujols has never used a Pujols Muzuno in a major league game. At least that anyone can document.

In the listed auction the Pujols Mizuno is said to be game used during his rookie year, 2001, and has a letter from PSA, dated last month. The seller is also including a Donruss Timeless Teasures Game Used Bat Card, which shows a picture of the Mizuno bat that was used to produce the bat card, and also a picture of Pujols using a Mizuno..(Ever though you can't see the Mizuno logo in the photo).

Would like to know your opinions on how PSA/DNA can justify authenicating this bat, or how Donruss could produce a card using the Mizuno..

and if Donruss were to have produce the cards prior to the present knowledge of the Pujols Mizuno bat issue, what action should they take to rectifly the matter..

I feel the issue is important due to a 4,995.00 "Buy It Now" price on the bat..

Thanks in advance
Gary

Birdbats
12-17-2005, 11:54 PM
Gary,

You're right, we've kind of beat the whole "Pujols has never used Mizuno" drum to death. He says he's never used them, and there is no photo evidence of him using Mizuno after spring training 2001 (when he used a black Lankford bat). There is an account from the St. Louis newspaper of him using Mike Piazza bats in his rookie year, and Piazza favors Mizuno, so it's possible he might have used Piazza-labeled bats.

I've seen the Donruss card and am convinced Pujols is using a Sam Bat in the photo. You can see the point of the bat's wing from the Sam logo. Mizuno's logo doesn't look like that. As for Donruss using a Mizuno and calling it game used, I'm not shocked. I'm sure they were acting in good faith when they bought the bat (probably at auction). It was a Pujols model, it showed use, so it must be a Pujols game-used bat, right? It's easy to draw that conclusion if you're not watching Pujols consistently or aware of his habits. I'd bet Donruss was comfortable with the homework it did and probably would still maintain the bat is game used.

As for PSA/DNA, I'm not going to slam them. Like Donruss, they see a bat that has Pujols' name and shows game use. They're just going by the evidence. Vince and John know more about bats than I'll ever hope to know. But when it comes to Pujols, they're probably not watching and documenting his every at-bat. You'd hope they'd be aware of the information that's been provided in this forum by Rob, me and others, but you can't assume that. And even if they are, it's just our opinions against their opinions. And that's maybe all we'll ever have unless someone comes up with a clear photo of Albert actually using a Mizuno bat with his name on the barrel.

Authentication services can't possibly know everything about every player. Doesn't mean they're bad guys, doesn't mean they're not great at what they do. But, they can't know it all (even though companies like Donruss are trusting that they do and buying based on that trust). It seems to me that having a network of niche experts would serve these companies better than having one or two people make the call on every item. That's what makes this forum so great and valuable -- the niche collectors have a voice and a soapbox.

Just my two cents. Thanks for asking.

Jeff
http://www.birdbats.com

4cuda9er
12-18-2005, 03:52 PM
Jeff:

Thanks for your reply and thoughts...I agree that the bat in the picture appears to be a Sam. Like you, we have put a lot of time on the Pujols/Mizuno bat issue, and have been documenting the matter. After 2 years, we still have been unable to show one piece of evidence that Pujols has used a Mizuno bat, with his name on it, in either a regular, or a spring training game, but have documented numerous facts that indicate that he has never used one. As you stated, there hasn't been any photo's of him using one, he himself stated he hasn't, and his family foundation has comfirmed this. I also agree that Vince and John have un-debatable knowledge on the identification of bats. It is obvious that the Pujols/Mizuno bat are most likely a game model, or issued bat, and have one of his traits, but how do they justify authenticating the bat as game used, by the player, when there is NO evidence to support it. We have documented fifteen Pujols/Mizuno game used bats sold on either Ebay, or other auctions..It would be nice if the authenicators could show us just just one piece of evidence that Pujols had used the Mizuno in any Major League play. For example:
Photo, letter from team, letter from Equipment Manager or person putting Pujols jersey number on the bat, letter from bat boys or fellow players, anything that would justify a bat going up for auction for 5,000.00..