Freese’s Torn Shirt, Home Run Bat Among Hall’s Haul

The fan who wound up with the ball gave it back and don’t look for the bat David Freese used to hit that big home run in Game 6 of the World Series to show up in a sports memorabilia auction catalog. It’s on its way to the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with numerous other items from one of the greatest World Series in recent memory. The jersey his teammates ripped off his back after he crossed home plate? That’ll hang in Cooperstown, too.

Following Friday night’s series-clinching 6-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, several additional items were acquired by the Hall of Fame to be featured in a new exhibit that will be unveiled shortly.

CHRIS CARPENTER’s Game 7 game-worn home jersey, the bat used by ALLEN CRAIG to hit a Game 7 home run that broke a 2-2 tie, a bat used by LANCE BERKMAN throughout the World Series, and caps worn by manager TONY La RUSSA and pitching coach DAVE DUNCAN were donated to the Museum following Game 7 on Friday night. Those items will join three other key artifacts from the Cardinals during the World Series.

Also traveling back from St. Louis on Saturday were the spikes donated by ALBERT PUJOLS from his Game 3 record performance when he set a World Series record with 14 total bases and tied another record with 3 home runs.

Several other items from the Cardinals’ improbable post-season run are also going on display.

Carpenter’s hat, worn in Game 5 of the NLDS in a dramatic 1-0 series-clinching win over Philadelphia, will be in the “Autumn Glory” exhibit, which features more than four dozen artifacts related to the history and great moments of the World Series. The 2011 World Series exhibit will open November 19 in Cooperstown.

Four items from the Texas Rangers postseason run were also acquired during the 2011 World Series. ADRIAN BELTRE donated his jersey from Game 4 of the ALDS at Tampa Bay, when he tied a postseason record with 3 home runs in the game. NELSON CRUZ donated the bat and batting gloves he used to hit his Game 2 walk-off grand slam, the first in postseason history, along with the jersey he wore in Game 6 of the ALCS, when he tied a postseason series record with his 6th home run.

The items will be first unveiled to the public today, in a program for Museum visitors. Following the program, the artifacts will begin the process for the exhibition opening on Nov. 19.

Brad Horne, communications director for the Hall, put several of the items, including the ripped jersey, on display for media at the Albany airport when he touched down Saturday.