Employees inspect Wrigley upper deck

CHICAGO - A Chicago Cubs employee found a third piece of concrete at Wrigley Field that apparently fell from the 90-year-old stadium's upper deck.

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After concrete chunks fell at different spots on June 9 and July 16, a team employee found a fragment Wednesday that was "relatively small, palm-of-your-hand" sized, said Mike Lufrano, the Cubs' vice president for community affairs.

Employees found the latest chunk Wednesday during an inspection before the Cubs' game with the Cincinnati Reds, and made repairs to the upper deck, Lufrano said. A follow-up inspection Thursday revealed a probable spot from which the piece fell, Lufrano said.

"Repairs were made and city officials notified," he said.

The city buildings department has asked for an inspection, and team management said they will share their results.

A man said a brick-sized chunk of concrete fell from a tier above his family after a Cubs game July 16, nearly striking his 5-year-old son.

Another fan reported to the city June 9 that he saw falling debris along the first-base side, Buildings Commissioner Stan Kaderbek said. No one was injured.

Mayor Richard Daley said Wednesday he would not hesitate to close sections - or all - of the stadium to protect fans from falling debris.

JEWELRY RECOVERED: An estimated $15,000 in jewelry taken this month from a hotel room where Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Clement and his family were staying has been recovered, police said.

An employee of the Pfister Hotel was arrested and will be referred to the Milwaukee County district attorney for a felony burglary charge, Sgt. Ken Harris said Friday.

RUTH BAT FOR SALE: The bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium more than 80 years ago is on display at a sports show and could be sold for more than $1 million this year.

The bat is among the memorabilia displayed at The National Sports Collectors Convention, which runs through Sunday.

The owner of the bat, SportsCards Plus, said in June that it planned to auction the bat. On Thursday, Sotheby's said it would handle the auction Dec. 2 in New York.

The only two other pieces of sports memorabilia to eclipse $1 million have been the Honus Wagner T-206 card and Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball. The sale possibly could exceed the original cost to build Yankee Stadium - $2.5 million.

SportsCards Plus auction director Dan Imler, said it's hard to put a price tag on a piece of history.

"Ruth was a man of mythic proportions," Imler said. "This bat, the ultimate tool of his trade, is the finest sports artifact we'll see in our lifetime."