Baseball giveaways that pack a wallop

As I stuffed my free "Let's Go Mets!" beach towel into my backpack after Sunday's game at Citi Field, I pondered the price of a silk-screened strip of terrycloth and figured it probably paled next to the $60 I just dropped on food and beer. Then I turned to the bigger picture. Which Major League Baseball giveaways are really worth something? This WalletPopper combed the websites of every MLB team and came up with some of the top values.

Just so I wouldn't operate in a vacuum, I called Maury Brown, the founder and president of the Biz of Baseball, to second my choices. He researches this kind of stuff all the time. "Promotions for the most part are designed by the club to get people to come out to the ballpark to spend money," he told WalletPop. "If they can minimize the money spent on promotion and get people to come out, all the better."

Still, we found a few solid contenders far beyond the usual key rings, bobbleheads and fridge magnets.

1. IBEW Local 98 Charlie Manuel Louisville Slugger Bat Day, July 6, at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia. Bat giveaways have mostly gone the way of flannel uniforms, but the Phillies are welcomed holdouts. The 30-inch genuine wood bat features the name and signature of Philadelphia's beloved manager, Charlie Manuel. A Louisville Slugger youth bat online can run $29.99.