It takes a lot of leather to make Donovan so valuable

This story was excerpted from John Denton's Cardinals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Peer into the Cardinals' dugout -- at Busch Stadium or on the road -- and there’s something on the bench you will always see other than the buckets of chewing gum, spent sunflower seed shells and wadded-up paper cups.

Somewhere in the dugout there will always be a big, bulky red equipment bag with the name “Donnie” stitched to the outside of it. Wherever Cardinals utility infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan goes, that bag is always there with him so that he’s prepared for anything.

Inside the bag are tools that allow the 25-year-old Donovan to be the Cardinals' most versatile player -- and certainly one of their most valuable players, too. Inside, there are two tan infield gloves that he can use to play third and second base and shortstop; there’s a massive black glove to be used when he’s manning either of the corner outfield slots; then, there’s the pancake-flat first baseman’s mitt gifted to him by star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt that reminds him of another kind of food when on his left hand.

Donovan’s gloves are kept close by so that he can adapt at a moment’s notice. This season, he’s played 13 games (11 starts) in right field, 13 games (10 starts) at second base, 12 games (six starts) at third base, seven games (six starts) at shortstop, nine games (four starts) at first base and one game (one start) in left field. Not long after being called up on April 25, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Donovan made a bit of history when he became the first player since 1900 to start his first four MLB games at four different infield positions. Hence, the big, bulky red bag that travels from his dressing stall to the dugout daily.

“I don’t travel light, but it is what it is,” joked Donovan, who has been a defensive standout even on a Cardinals team that won an MLB-record five Gold Gloves last season. “There have been several times this year when I’ve started at one position and then changed to another one during the game. And then, there have been times when I wasn’t in the game and then came in later at a position. So, I just need them all with me to be ready. It just depends on what the team needs me to do.”

Here is a breakdown of the gloves that Donovan lugs around and what he likes about each of them:

Infield gloves: “It’s a Rawlings 11 1/2 [inch glove]. Sometimes you may be at second and then go to third. Or I could go from third and go to second or short. So, I just use the same glove for all three positions. I like the size of the 11 1/2, and with the way I like to break in my gloves from Rawlings, it always makes them a little wider and it gives me a little more space. Rawlings is good quality, and their gloves last a long time. I like a smaller pocket for my infield glove because you’re never going to really squeeze the glove unless you are catching a popup or a throw, but you never really squeeze it on a ground ball. I carry two of these gloves with me just in case.”

Outfield glove: “My outfield glove -- you’ll notice, they’re all Rawlings -- is a 12 3/4 [inch glove]. Obviously, it’s bigger with a deeper pocket, but this one that I’m using is a couple of years old. I really like how broken in this one is.”

First-base glove: “The first-base glove is the one that Goldy gave me during Spring Training, and it’s awesome. They’re all custom-made for [Goldschmidt], and this is the same one that he is using now, and it’s obviously got his name on it. Usually with first baseman’s mitts, they’re all around the same size, but they’re massive. It feels like a big taco on my hand. There’s so much room in that glove that I feel like I can snag anything.”

Thus far, Donovan has handled 175 chances and has three outfield assists -- all from right field -- and has committed just four errors. Rarely does he ever leave a game with a clean uniform, and his defensive versatility has earned him a familiar, yet reverential nickname from his teammates: “Donnie Baseball.”

“That was Don Mattingly’s nickname, and it’s cool that a couple of my teammates have started calling me that,” said Donovan, who was quick to credit infield coach Stubby Clapp with helping him prepare each day for whatever position he is playing. “I just want to earn the respect from those guys for playing hard and playing the right way. That means so much to me.”