Mother's Day celebration brings out pink gear

PITTSBURGH -- There were splashes of pink to complement the Cardinals' red on Sunday, as players and other uniformed personnel incorporated the color into their wardrobes as part of Major League Baseball's Mother's Day initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Both Peter Bourjos and Jhonny Peralta were supplied with pink bats, though Peralta did not use his in the game. Five players -- Matt Holliday, Matt Carpenter, Bourjos, Jon Jay and Allen Craig -- sported black and pink Nike cleats, while Carlos Martinez, Eric Fornataro and Matt Adams were provided additional pink gear from Under Armour.

Other players had the option of wearing pink batting gloves, wristbands, compression sleeves and Phiten necklaces. A pink ribbon was sewn on the front of each jersey, lineup cards were printed on pink cardstock, and pink was stamped onto the bases and balls used in the game.

Several of the pink bats used by players across MLB on Sunday will be auctioned off on MLB.com to raise money for the fight against breast cancer.

The Cardinals also plan to honor their Honorary Bat Girl winner, Karen Neal, one of 30 cancer survivors selected as winners of MLB's contest, later this month. Neal, a St. Louis-area math teacher, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. In addition to being recognized at Busch Stadium prior to game, she will receive pink MLB merchandise and two game tickets.