When Troy told me about some the items being consigned for the December Auction, I was thrilled because I knew I would be seeing the flannels. While I have researched, written and offered opinions on a variety of subjects and items, it’s these grand garments of days gone by that I enjoy most. I will be featuring these in articles over the next few weeks.
The first shirt up is a 1971 Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds Road jersey, and for those Seinfeld fans, “It’s real and it’s spectacular.” All kidding aside, this shirt is actually an extension of topics I have already written about with respect to both style matching and use of subsequent year’s uniforms in the World Series of the preceding year.
While I fully realize that not everyone is going to be a bidder on this jersey or the other high demand-low density uniforms in the December auction (either by collecting interest or price range), I hope there is something of value you can take away from these shirts to help with whatever your collecting focus is.
What is offered below are my notes that will accompany the MEARS worksheet for this jersey. To both the consigner of this jersey and the lucky collector who will walk away with it in December, I say thank you for allowing me to spend time with the piece of baseball history.
As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect.
MEARS Auth, LLC
For questions and comments on this jersey, please feel free to drop me a line at DaveGrob1@aol.com.
SUBJECT: 1971 Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds Road Jersey
For the purpose of evaluation and description, this jersey is referred to as a 1971 Cincinnati Reds road jersey. After a detailed visual inspection and evaluation of this jersey using lighted magnification, a light table, a digital microscope, UV light and various references, I offer the following noted observations:
Size: This jersey is tagged as size 42 and this is the true measured size for this period of Wilson product. This jersey by size is considered appropriate for Rose at this point of his career based period Street & Smith Yearbooks showing him at 5’ 11” and 195lbs. Other period flannels for Rose in the MEARS database include:
1968, Home, Rawlings: Size 42
1971, Home, Rawlings: Size 42
1971, Road, Wilson: Size 42 (Not the same jersey)
The other 1971 Rose road seen in the hobby was offered by Leland’s as Lot # 820 in their December 2004 auction. These shirts can easily be distinguished from each other by comparing the player name “ROSE” sewn on the swatch into the collar.
Manufacturer/Construction: The offered jersey is identified as a Wilson product by the tag in the lower left front tail. The tag is period correct as this style was featured on Wilson products from c 1967-1973. Other aspects of the jersey are also period correct, specifically:
-Button Style (By construction, number and placement)
-Lettering color scheme (Single color red twill)
A: The buttons on this jersey are the standard Wilson charcoal grey four-hole variety. The thing to note is that two buttons are located above the “CINCINNATI” arched across the front. This is one of the physical characteristic that differentiates this jersey from the 1970 regular season offerings and is unique to the 1970 Reds road World Series jerseys as well as those worn in 1971.
B: The single red color twill is another physical characteristic that differentiates this jersey from the 1970 regular season offerings and is unique to the 1970 Reds road World Series jerseys as well those worn in 1971.
This subject was covered in some detail in the article I authored for MEARS On-Line titled “Style Matching” on 6/7/2009 and depicted here as well (PLATES I-III)
Images specific to Rose and the 1970 World Series showing him wearing this same style of jersey can be found by examining:
-The 1970 World Series Video
-Getty Images: #51453944, #51453960, #51679232, and #51679350
-Corbis Images: #U1683960 and # U1683871
-Charlie Hustle by Pete Rose and Bob Hertzel (Photos between pages 110-111)
(PLATE IV)
NOTE: No claim is being made that the offered jersey is in fact the same one shown in PLATE IV.
Supplemental Player Identification The offered jersey features a gray flannel swatch with red chain stitch of “ROSE. This style is period, team and manufacturer correct and is original to the uniform. This offered jersey shows no signs that the collar area has been tampered with in order to accommodate this swatch as being correctly sewn only through the first collar fold. For the purposes of comparison and evaluation, the manner of identification is shown relative to the 1971 Daryl Chaney in my on hand reference library. For ease in comparison, the tagging of this offered jersey and that of the Chaney are shown as well. (PLATE V)
Use and Wear: The jersey shows signs of moderate use and wear. This is seen in the general wear to the fabric of the body of the jersey and is uniform throughout. The wear to the twill fabric used for the lettering and numbering is also moderate as seen in the surface condition and thread pulls from the stitching. An examination of these areas from the interior reveals the same consistent condition traits. The interior shows no signs of fabric bleed from the lettering or an undergarment. This is mentioned to add context to why I feel the use is neither light nor heavy.
Evaluation Findings: Based on my physical examination of this jersey, supporting data, images, and PLATES I-V, it is my opinion that this jersey posses all of the characteristics you would expect to find in a 1971 Cincinnati Reds road jersey manufactured by Wilson for use by Pete Rose in 1971 and possibly the 1970 World Series as well. For Pre-1987 jerseys, the MEARS grading metric begins at base grade of 10 with five (5) major categories for consideration when looking to codify deductions. With the use being both moderate and finding this jersey to compare very favorably with an on-hand common player exemplar, coupled with the fact that it is in all original condition, I found no objective reason for any point deductions. As such, the jersey is awarded a final grade of A10. This jersey does feature a black sharpie autograph of “Pete Rose 1971” on the right chest. The autograph was not factored into the evaluation or grading and no opinion of it is offered by me as this is outside of what I consider my area of expertise. It is only noted for reference.
Because my personal collecting focus has included dozens of Reds flannels over the years, including those of Rose, any potential bidder or buyer of this jersey should know I have never owned this offered jersey either in partial or outright and have never offered an opinion on it before.
MEARS Auth, LLC
MEARS
Enclosures:
Plates I-V