Recently I was asked to evaluate a Los Angeles Lakers purple road jersey purported to have been worn by Wilt Chamberlain. If authentic, the value is certainly north of the $65,000+ range, but with any problems present, the jersey is basically worthless.

Unlike baseball jerseys, the majority of pre 1985 NBA jerseys were produced without year tags. This particular example, Tiernan, was supplied by the Glendale, CA company.

In order to determine is this jersey was worn by Chamberlain, we had to ascertain

1. Style – Was this style of jersey worn by Chamberlain, and if so, during what years? To determine this, MEARS examined the front font “LAKERS” and the trim (piping) found on the shoulders and neckline of the jersey. We also examined the body shell fabric, light weight durene and compared it to mesh fabric found on later era Lakers jerseys.
2. Manufacturer – Did Tiernan supply the Lakers with jerseys during this era, and is the style of the tag correct for the period.
3. Size – Other examples of authentic Los Angeles Lakers jersey that have entered the hobby and supplied by Tiernan from the late 1960s early 1970s were found without size tags. How could be determine if this jersey was indeed the correct size to have been made to be worn by Chamberlain during the era.

Finally, as standard protocol, MEARS recorded the degree of game wear, used a magnified light source to determine originality or any possible number/name changes, and we assigned the final grade based on the results of our research. All of our work was recorded via our worksheet and transferred to the final LOA (Letter of Opinion).

To determine the style, I examined digital images of the 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 Los Angeles Lakers. My research concluded the following:

1966: Old style Lakers script

1967: Old style Lakers script

1968: Matching Lakers font

1969: Matching Lakers font

1970: Matching Lakers font

1971: Matching Lakers font

1972: Matching Lakers font

1973: Matching Lakers font, trim piping has changed, thus verifying the end range of the dating

Style: Offered for examination is a 1968-72 Wilt Chamberlain Los Angeles Lakers road jersey. The purple road jersey is manufactured from a lightweight durene material. The neck and shoulders are trimmed in with purple, yellow, purple (pyp) piping.

The style was determined by an examination of game action photos. As noted in the accompanying diagram, 1967 found the Lakers wearing the old style script “Lakers”. The 1968 photo shows the Lakers switch over to the new Lakers team name design, thus allowing us for the beginning dating range of the jersey. In addition to the “Lakers” font, we studied the piping. This style was adorned by purple/yellow/purple shoulder and neck piping.

The piping changed in 1973 to a two color piping, yellow and purple, thus creating the back end dating of this style jerseys. The body shell was made from lightweight durene. 1973 also found the introduction of mesh jerseys to the Lakers team. Therefore, this body shell is consistent with pre 1973 Lakers materials.

In summary, the imagery analysis allowed us to verify the style of the jersey (1968-72), jersey material (light weight durene), and piping (tri color –p/y/p) were all correct.

Next, I had to determine if Tiernan was the correct supplier of Los Angeles Lakers during the time of Wilt Chamberlain’s career.

Manufacturer: Supplied by Tiernan of Glendale, CA, this company is documented as supplying the Lakers with jerseys during the era. Other documented examples of Tiernan jerseys to enter the hobby include:

1969 Chamberlain

1971 Goodrich

1971 West

1973 Riley

Therefore, Tiernan is verified as being the correct supplier of Lakers jerseys during the same relative era as this jersey.

Regarding the Tiernan tag, it compares favorably to other examples that have entered the hobby, they are:

1970 tag

1971 tag

1972 tag

By comparison, this examples tag is consistent with respect to size and design to other Tiernan tag examples that have entered the hobby. I was confident the tag was original and the correct design for the 1968-72 era.

To continue with the evaluation, we had to determine whether or not the size was correct for Wilt Chamberlain during the late 1960s, early 1970s. This created a challenge since Tiernan did not include size tags on their jerseys during this timeframe.

In order to address this, we can apply the method of taking a chest measurement to determine the actual size of the jersey. Additionally, with the MEARS database, we were able to compare the chest and torso measurement to additional jerseys evaluated by MEARS. Our findings were:

Size (approximately size 44): Although not listed, the chest measurement is 22” across with a 28” torso measurement. This equates to an approximate size 42 or 44 jersey. MEARS examined a 1962 All Star Chamberlain game worn jersey, which was actually tagged as a size 42. This sized tagged example is consistent with this Tiernan version. Another example of a Chamberlain jersey was examined by MEARS, its measurements were:

1968-72, Chest 22”, 29” torso.

Therefore, this example compares quite favorably with respect to size to two other Chamberlain jerseys examined by MEARS.

Game wear: Jersey shows heavy game wear. Puckering is found on the lettering to the name “Chamberlain” and the numeral, “13”. The is staining in the area of the right shoulder (heavy) and left shoulder (lighter) that appears to be blood, but has not been tested. It is the authenticator’s opinion that it is most likely blood, would have occurred during a game setting, and does not require a deduction of points.

Final Grade MEARS A10: Evaluation of supplier, material, lettering, numbering, and game wear allowed for 10 base points to be assigned for their respective categories. Zero points were found for deduction.

Conclusion: Although some obstacles were present, by applying the techniques of imagery analysis, comparisons to the MEARS database, and physical observation of the actual jersey with the aid of a magnifying light source, MEARS was able to successfully determine this jersey was indeed worn by Chamberlain during the 1968-72 timespan.

MEARS is buying game worn Los Angeles Lakers Game Worn Jersey. MEARS is buying game worn Wilt Chamberlain game worn jerseys. MEARS is buying game worn jerseys of any caliber player.

Contact Troy R. Kinunen at troy@mearsonline.com or call (414)828-9990

Recently I was asked to evaluate a Los Angeles Lakers purple road jersey purported to have been worn by Wilt Chamberlain. If authentic, the value is certainly north of the $65,000+ range, but with any problems present, the jersey is basically worthless.

Unlike baseball jerseys, the majority of pre 1985 NBA jerseys were produced without year tags. This particular example, Tiernan, was supplied by the Glendale, CA company.

In order to determine is this jersey was worn by Chamberlain, we had to ascertain

1. Style – Was this style of jersey worn by Chamberlain, and if so, during what years? To determine this, MEARS examined the front font “LAKERS” and the trim (piping) found on the shoulders and neckline of the jersey. We also examined the body shell fabric, light weight durene and compared it to mesh fabric found on later era Lakers jerseys.
2. Manufacturer – Did Tiernan supply the Lakers with jerseys during this era, and is the style of the tag correct for the period.
3. Size – Other examples of authentic Los Angeles Lakers jersey that have entered the hobby and supplied by Tiernan from the late 1960s early 1970s were found without size tags. How could be determine if this jersey was indeed the correct size to have been made to be worn by Chamberlain during the era.

Finally, as standard protocol, MEARS recorded the degree of game wear, used a magnified light source to determine originality or any possible number/name changes, and we assigned the final grade based on the results of our research. All of our work was recorded via our worksheet and transferred to the final LOA (Letter of Opinion).

To determine the style, I examined digital images of the 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973 Los Angeles Lakers. My research concluded the following:

1966: Old style Lakers script

1967: Old style Lakers script

1968: Matching Lakers font

1969: Matching Lakers font

1970: Matching Lakers font

1971: Matching Lakers font

1972: Matching Lakers font

1973: Matching Lakers font, trim piping has changed, thus verifying the end range of the dating

Style: Offered for examination is a 1968-72 Wilt Chamberlain Los Angeles Lakers road jersey. The purple road jersey is manufactured from a lightweight durene material. The neck and shoulders are trimmed in with purple, yellow, purple (pyp) piping.

The style was determined by an examination of game action photos. As noted in the accompanying diagram, 1967 found the Lakers wearing the old style script “Lakers”. The 1968 photo shows the Lakers switch over to the new Lakers team name design, thus allowing us for the beginning dating range of the jersey. In addition to the “Lakers” font, we studied the piping. This style was adorned by purple/yellow/purple shoulder and neck piping.

The piping changed in 1973 to a two color piping, yellow and purple, thus creating the back end dating of this style jerseys. The body shell was made from lightweight durene. 1973 also found the introduction of mesh jerseys to the Lakers team. Therefore, this body shell is consistent with pre 1973 Lakers materials.

In summary, the imagery analysis allowed us to verify the style of the jersey (1968-72), jersey material (light weight durene), and piping (tri color –p/y/p) were all correct.

Next, I had to determine if Tiernan was the correct supplier of Los Angeles Lakers during the time of Wilt Chamberlain’s career.

Manufacturer: Supplied by Tiernan of Glendale, CA, this company is documented as supplying the Lakers with jerseys during the era. Other documented examples of Tiernan jerseys to enter the hobby include:

1969 Chamberlain

1971 Goodrich

1971 West

1973 Riley

Therefore, Tiernan is verified as being the correct supplier of Lakers jerseys during the same relative era as this jersey.

Regarding the Tiernan tag, it compares favorably to other examples that have entered the hobby, they are:

1970 tag

1971 tag

1972 tag

By comparison, this examples tag is consistent with respect to size and design to other Tiernan tag examples that have entered the hobby. I was confident the tag was original and the correct design for the 1968-72 era.

To continue with the evaluation, we had to determine whether or not the size was correct for Wilt Chamberlain during the late 1960s, early 1970s. This created a challenge since Tiernan did not include size tags on their jerseys during this timeframe.

In order to address this, we can apply the method of taking a chest measurement to determine the actual size of the jersey. Additionally, with the MEARS database, we were able to compare the chest and torso measurement to additional jerseys evaluated by MEARS. Our findings were:

Size (approximately size 44): Although not listed, the chest measurement is 22” across with a 28” torso measurement. This equates to an approximate size 42 or 44 jersey. MEARS examined a 1962 All Star Chamberlain game worn jersey, which was actually tagged as a size 42. This sized tagged example is consistent with this Tiernan version. Another example of a Chamberlain jersey was examined by MEARS, its measurements were:

1968-72, Chest 22”, 29” torso.

Therefore, this example compares quite favorably with respect to size to two other Chamberlain jerseys examined by MEARS.

Game wear: Jersey shows heavy game wear. Puckering is found on the lettering to the name “Chamberlain” and the numeral, “13”. The is staining in the area of the right shoulder (heavy) and left shoulder (lighter) that appears to be blood, but has not been tested. It is the authenticator’s opinion that it is most likely blood, would have occurred during a game setting, and does not require a deduction of points.

Final Grade MEARS A10: Evaluation of supplier, material, lettering, numbering, and game wear allowed for 10 base points to be assigned for their respective categories. Zero points were found for deduction.

Conclusion: Although some obstacles were present, by applying the techniques of imagery analysis, comparisons to the MEARS database, and physical observation of the actual jersey with the aid of a magnifying light source, MEARS was able to successfully determine this jersey was indeed worn by Chamberlain during the 1968-72 timespan.

MEARS is buying game worn Los Angeles Lakers Game Worn Jersey. MEARS is buying game worn Wilt Chamberlain game worn jerseys. MEARS is buying game worn jerseys of any caliber player.

Contact Troy R. Kinunen at troy@mearsonline.com or call (414)828-9990

Some collectors love nothing more than to have a player provide an autograph with an inscription on their item. For me, I have never been a fan of this. Regardless of what I personally like or dislike, it does happen and it is a topic worth discussing since it has bearing on the evaluation process.

When evaluating a game used item that is autographed and also possess some inscription, any number of things have to be considered individually and collectively. They are the item itself, the autograph/inscription, and the player in question as all of them have a direct impact on what the item is or is not or may be.

The Item: No matter what the story or the inscription; any bat, glove, jersey etc… is what it is. By this I mean the item must always stand on its own merits. It must first be evaluated and an initial opinion formed as to what it is, almost as if the autograph and or inscription was not present. A player writing “game used,” “my gamer,” or anything else can never make an item into something it is not.

The Autograph or Inscription: The value to a piece bearing a player’s autograph and or inscription must also be evaluated on its own merits. One question that must be answered with some degree of certainty is did the player actually write what is on the item? If so, how do we know this? There are any number of autograph authentication services who are willing to offer an opinion for a fee. I imagine the best evidence would be a picture of the player actually signing the item, as long as you have some degree of certainty the item in the photo and the one on hand are one in the same. For MEARS, since we do not offer an opinion on autographs as a matter of course, we should identify those authentications services whose opinions we are comfortable accepting.

Another aspect deserving of consideration is the nature of the inscription itself. Some players will sign items with a particular inscription relating to some event of prominence such as “ 1961 World Series” or “1985 MVP”. Does this mean that the item was in fact used in the 1961 World Series or during the 1985 season? In my book and at face value, it does not. This relates back to what the item is or is not without the inscription.

Another facet worth considering is whose idea was it to add the particular notation on the item? Although it really has no bearing on what the item is or is not, it does deserve some attention. Was the inscription suggested by the fan because that’s what they wanted? Was it done by the player because that’s just what he does? Did the item come from the player and the inscription is based on his recollection or remembrances? This takes us to final area of consideration, the player themselves.

The Player: Sad to say, but memory is one is one of the first things to go as you get older…there are of course others, but I can’t remember what they are at this time. Older players are often found parting with items from their playing days long after their playing days are over. Are their recollections of the item and event always reliable? Maybe and maybe not….this once again underscores the importance of deciding what the item is before hand.

Even if the item, such as glove could have been period correct, is it the same one used in the event as described by the inscription? Was the intent of the inscription to place it to that event or simply to conjure up warm memories of the “Glory Days?” Folks, please don’t put aged player in an uncomfortable situation that could compromise their legacy and dignity by asking them to write something they in fact may not able to confirm. It really seems to be a mixed bag on this as some players will write anything and others will swear the item was never used by them, even when there is very reasonable evidence to suggest otherwise.

The 800 lb Gorilla in the room rests on the notion that maybe there are certain players whose word just should not be taken at face value. In my mind, this would be based off of previous misconduct and goes directly to issues of character. This problem is further compounded when they player of less than stellar character is directly involved in marketing and selling their own memorabilia.

As written or current jersey worksheet has the“Property of” documented team stamps can add up to 5 points. In addition, the current version also reads “Player autographed documentation, i.e. “My Gamer” add 5 points. This, like the first example should read “can add up to” and I have asked that this be corrected on the next printing. Before any points are added, the MEARS evaluator must answer these questions and it is my desire and intent to make this policy.

1. What is the item in question without the autograph and annotation?

2. Was the autograph and inscription on the item actually written by the player and how do I know this?

3. What serves as the basis to either accept or question the inscription based on what I both know about the item and player?

If you can’t objectively answer these questions, then how can you objectively award points? Our processes and procedures have been developed with this goal in mind….Don’t take our word for it, see it for yourself…why should this step in the evaluation process be any different for anyone else.

As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect.

Dave Grob

For questions or comments on this article, please feel free to drop me a line at DaveGrob1@aol.com

Some collectors love nothing more than to have a player provide an autograph with an inscription on their item. For me, I have never been a fan of this. Regardless of what I personally like or dislike, it does happen and it is a topic worth discussing since it has bearing on the evaluation process.

When evaluating a game used item that is autographed and also possess some inscription, any number of things have to be considered individually and collectively. They are the item itself, the autograph/inscription, and the player in question as all of them have a direct impact on what the item is or is not or may be.

The Item: No matter what the story or the inscription; any bat, glove, jersey etc… is what it is. By this I mean the item must always stand on its own merits. It must first be evaluated and an initial opinion formed as to what it is, almost as if the autograph and or inscription was not present. A player writing “game used,” “my gamer,” or anything else can never make an item into something it is not.

The Autograph or Inscription: The value to a piece bearing a player’s autograph and or inscription must also be evaluated on its own merits. One question that must be answered with some degree of certainty is did the player actually write what is on the item? If so, how do we know this? There are any number of autograph authentication services who are willing to offer an opinion for a fee. I imagine the best evidence would be a picture of the player actually signing the item, as long as you have some degree of certainty the item in the photo and the one on hand are one in the same. For MEARS, since we do not offer an opinion on autographs as a matter of course, we should identify those authentications services whose opinions we are comfortable accepting.

Another aspect deserving of consideration is the nature of the inscription itself. Some players will sign items with a particular inscription relating to some event of prominence such as “ 1961 World Series” or “1985 MVP”. Does this mean that the item was in fact used in the 1961 World Series or during the 1985 season? In my book and at face value, it does not. This relates back to what the item is or is not without the inscription.

Another facet worth considering is whose idea was it to add the particular notation on the item? Although it really has no bearing on what the item is or is not, it does deserve some attention. Was the inscription suggested by the fan because that’s what they wanted? Was it done by the player because that’s just what he does? Did the item come from the player and the inscription is based on his recollection or remembrances? This takes us to final area of consideration, the player themselves.

The Player: Sad to say, but memory is one is one of the first things to go as you get older…there are of course others, but I can’t remember what they are at this time. Older players are often found parting with items from their playing days long after their playing days are over. Are their recollections of the item and event always reliable? Maybe and maybe not….this once again underscores the importance of deciding what the item is before hand.

Even if the item, such as glove could have been period correct, is it the same one used in the event as described by the inscription? Was the intent of the inscription to place it to that event or simply to conjure up warm memories of the “Glory Days?” Folks, please don’t put aged player in an uncomfortable situation that could compromise their legacy and dignity by asking them to write something they in fact may not able to confirm. It really seems to be a mixed bag on this as some players will write anything and others will swear the item was never used by them, even when there is very reasonable evidence to suggest otherwise.

The 800 lb Gorilla in the room rests on the notion that maybe there are certain players whose word just should not be taken at face value. In my mind, this would be based off of previous misconduct and goes directly to issues of character. This problem is further compounded when they player of less than stellar character is directly involved in marketing and selling their own memorabilia.

As written or current jersey worksheet has the“Property of” documented team stamps can add up to 5 points. In addition, the current version also reads “Player autographed documentation, i.e. “My Gamer” add 5 points. This, like the first example should read “can add up to” and I have asked that this be corrected on the next printing. Before any points are added, the MEARS evaluator must answer these questions and it is my desire and intent to make this policy.

1. What is the item in question without the autograph and annotation?

2. Was the autograph and inscription on the item actually written by the player and how do I know this?

3. What serves as the basis to either accept or question the inscription based on what I both know about the item and player?

If you can’t objectively answer these questions, then how can you objectively award points? Our processes and procedures have been developed with this goal in mind….Don’t take our word for it, see it for yourself…why should this step in the evaluation process be any different for anyone else.

As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect.

Dave Grob

For questions or comments on this article, please feel free to drop me a line at DaveGrob1@aol.com

When evaluating pre 1917 professional model game used bats, different criteria must be applied to the authentication process. Factory records to support bats from this pre 1917 labeling period are almost not existent. What is available are a handful of ledger entries, which most often only listed a player’s weight. A specific reference to this bat is not known at this time, but other factors lead us to conclude it is a professional model. MEARS applies photographic evidence, other examples examined in the MEARS database, and the examination of limited but known H&B ledger entries. The combination of the above information is the basis of our opinion.

There is photographic evidence that players used decal bats in Major League games during this period of 1906 to 1911. MEARS recently archived a photo of an unnamed New York Giant, circa 1904-07, using a decal bat of an unidentified bat maker.

Additional photos of players using decal bats in the major leagues include:

1. 1902-15 circa undated photo of Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan using a decal bat from an unknown supplier.
2. 1914 Hank Gowdy was mentioned in the 1939 H&B catalog as using a decal bat during the World Series.
3. 1908 circa Ty Cobb photo using a decal bat.

Additional professional model decal bats have been examined by MEARS, which perfectly match signature model Hillerich & Bradsby bats in respect to manufacturer specifications, with specific respect to length and weight. Professional Model Decal bats examined were:

MEARS 251387 Ty Cobb 34.5″, 37 ounces
MEARS 251351 Ty Cobb 34.5″, 38 ounces
MEARS 251886 Honus Wagner 34. 5″, 41.5 ounces

This fact is mentioned to establish that H&B bats bearing decals of known endorsee’s were manufactured in length and weights of documented ordering patterns of the respective player. An exact match of this decal bat to a documented H&B has not been recorded to date, and the above referenced as used to determine that for contemporaries, similarities of decal bat to professional bat examined does occur.

Subsequently, additional professional model decal bats can be found in the MEARS bat letter of opinion archives that varied in either length or weight with respect to known player ordering specifications but are still classified as professional model bats and attributed to the respective player as reflected via the decal on the barrel.

In regards to factory record for this bat, we have the following information of orders as referenced in the Louisville Slugger archives:

File Card: His old (Napoleon) Lajoie 35.5″, 40 oz. L22, Caliphre Only. Diagram Length: His Old Lajoie (L22) 35.5″; round end. 1911- No specified model, 42 ounce.

The playing career of Napoleon Lajoie spanned from 1896-1916. He signed his contract with Louisville Slugger on 9/12/1905, the third player to do so following Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. With the signing of his contract late in the year, this bat was most likely produced as some point later than ’05. Therefore we attribute the dating to 1906-11 base on the signing of the contract and the dating of the centerbrand. (1896-1911).

Grading: Based on the quality of the wood, association with Louisville Slugger, and the range of the manufacturers characteristics with respect to length and weight, the bat is determined by MEARS to be a Napoleon Lajoie professional model bat. When examining these bats from this early label period, we must take into consideration the lack of complete factory records. Evaluation as professional model comes from the known and examined photos, which confirm use of decal bats during the examined label period. Also, the manufacturer characteristics of length (34″) and weight (40.7 ounces) fall within the ordering patterns of players from the era and is within a consistent weight range (42 ounces) with the one referenced ledger entry of weight for Lajoie. Final grade was determined of 5 base points (matches known examples to style, model, dimensions), 3 points for heavy use, and a subtraction of 1 point for a restore piece missing off back of barrel. Subtraction of one point for length not matching the length (35″) of the one examined signature model (MEARS #305679) and the referenced length of 35.5″ from the H&B ledger. This portion of the grade could change by +1 point if an additional documented 34″ example entered the hobby. Final Grade: MEARS A6.

When evaluating pre 1917 professional model game used bats, different criteria must be applied to the authentication process. Factory records to support bats from this pre 1917 labeling period are almost not existent. What is available are a handful of ledger entries, which most often only listed a player’s weight. A specific reference to this bat is not known at this time, but other factors lead us to conclude it is a professional model. MEARS applies photographic evidence, other examples examined in the MEARS database, and the examination of limited but known H&B ledger entries. The combination of the above information is the basis of our opinion.

There is photographic evidence that players used decal bats in Major League games during this period of 1906 to 1911. MEARS recently archived a photo of an unnamed New York Giant, circa 1904-07, using a decal bat of an unidentified bat maker.

Additional photos of players using decal bats in the major leagues include:

1. 1902-15 circa undated photo of Hall of Fame catcher Roger Bresnahan using a decal bat from an unknown supplier.
2. 1914 Hank Gowdy was mentioned in the 1939 H&B catalog as using a decal bat during the World Series.
3. 1908 circa Ty Cobb photo using a decal bat.

Additional professional model decal bats have been examined by MEARS, which perfectly match signature model Hillerich & Bradsby bats in respect to manufacturer specifications, with specific respect to length and weight. Professional Model Decal bats examined were:

MEARS 251387 Ty Cobb 34.5″, 37 ounces
MEARS 251351 Ty Cobb 34.5″, 38 ounces
MEARS 251886 Honus Wagner 34. 5″, 41.5 ounces

This fact is mentioned to establish that H&B bats bearing decals of known endorsee’s were manufactured in length and weights of documented ordering patterns of the respective player. An exact match of this decal bat to a documented H&B has not been recorded to date, and the above referenced as used to determine that for contemporaries, similarities of decal bat to professional bat examined does occur.

Subsequently, additional professional model decal bats can be found in the MEARS bat letter of opinion archives that varied in either length or weight with respect to known player ordering specifications but are still classified as professional model bats and attributed to the respective player as reflected via the decal on the barrel.

In regards to factory record for this bat, we have the following information of orders as referenced in the Louisville Slugger archives:

File Card: His old (Napoleon) Lajoie 35.5″, 40 oz. L22, Caliphre Only. Diagram Length: His Old Lajoie (L22) 35.5″; round end. 1911- No specified model, 42 ounce.

The playing career of Napoleon Lajoie spanned from 1896-1916. He signed his contract with Louisville Slugger on 9/12/1905, the third player to do so following Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb. With the signing of his contract late in the year, this bat was most likely produced as some point later than ’05. Therefore we attribute the dating to 1906-11 base on the signing of the contract and the dating of the centerbrand. (1896-1911).

Grading: Based on the quality of the wood, association with Louisville Slugger, and the range of the manufacturers characteristics with respect to length and weight, the bat is determined by MEARS to be a Napoleon Lajoie professional model bat. When examining these bats from this early label period, we must take into consideration the lack of complete factory records. Evaluation as professional model comes from the known and examined photos, which confirm use of decal bats during the examined label period. Also, the manufacturer characteristics of length (34″) and weight (40.7 ounces) fall within the ordering patterns of players from the era and is within a consistent weight range (42 ounces) with the one referenced ledger entry of weight for Lajoie. Final grade was determined of 5 base points (matches known examples to style, model, dimensions), 3 points for heavy use, and a subtraction of 1 point for a restore piece missing off back of barrel. Subtraction of one point for length not matching the length (35″) of the one examined signature model (MEARS #305679) and the referenced length of 35.5″ from the H&B ledger. This portion of the grade could change by +1 point if an additional documented 34″ example entered the hobby. Final Grade: MEARS A6.

Recently, MEARS examined a 1969-70 New York Knicks home jersey of team legend Willis Reed. While conducting the evaluation, I called upon the assistance of our head researcher Dave Miedema to help, as I knew he had much experience with vintage basketball uniforms. Together we evaluated this item and below is a summary report of our findings.

Made out of durene, the standard fabric for NBA jerseys of the era. Knit was introduced in the early 1970s and there was a transition period where both materials were used. The jersey was lacking a manufacturer’s tag, but size and placement of visible remnants indicate the jersey being issued by Cosby, the Knicks’ uniform supplier of the era.

The size tag was intact, indicating the jersey to be a 48. Extra length was evident, but untagged. Rarely does a tag note the extra length during this era. The overall specs would be consistent with a player who stood 6-9 and weighed 235, bulkier dimensions than many other NBA players would.

Measurements of the jersey came in at 21 inches for the chest (or a size 42?…), and 30 1/2 inches for the torso…smaller than tagged, but explainable due to the shrinkage common for durene and cheese cloth jerseys of this era and later. In most examples of durene jerseys from this era we found shrinkage. But, upon examination, the materials retained most of their resiliency and could be stretched when worn to the size indicated on the tag.

Year, set and player ID tagging are not present, but this is normal for nearly all pre-1987 Knicks jerseys from Cosby and Sand-Knit.

Size specs for the NOB, team name and numbers were consistent with exemplars (NEW YORK = 3 inches; NOB = 2 3/4 inches; front number = 5 15/16 inches, back number same). The vertical arch of the NOB matches other Knicks exemplars of the era.

The jersey displays consistent, moderate use, with several tiny holes in the durene fabric. Additional written provenance dates the jersey to the memorable 1969-70 season.

This jersey received a final MEARS grade of A8, with one grading point subtracted for the missing Cosby tag and an additional point subtracted for the minor damage to the durene jersey shell.

GRADING NOTE: An 8 for a jersey that does not match tagged size and has no manufacturer tag? With our documentation of the shrinkage of almost all durene jerseys from the era, MEARS policy allows for this allowance and no points are subtracted while grading.

Recently, MEARS examined a 1969-70 New York Knicks home jersey of team legend Willis Reed. While conducting the evaluation, I called upon the assistance of our head researcher Dave Miedema to help, as I knew he had much experience with vintage basketball uniforms. Together we evaluated this item and below is a summary report of our findings.

Made out of durene, the standard fabric for NBA jerseys of the era. Knit was introduced in the early 1970s and there was a transition period where both materials were used. The jersey was lacking a manufacturer’s tag, but size and placement of visible remnants indicate the jersey being issued by Cosby, the Knicks’ uniform supplier of the era.

The size tag was intact, indicating the jersey to be a 48. Extra length was evident, but untagged. Rarely does a tag note the extra length during this era. The overall specs would be consistent with a player who stood 6-9 and weighed 235, bulkier dimensions than many other NBA players would.

Measurements of the jersey came in at 21 inches for the chest (or a size 42?…), and 30 1/2 inches for the torso…smaller than tagged, but explainable due to the shrinkage common for durene and cheese cloth jerseys of this era and later. In most examples of durene jerseys from this era we found shrinkage. But, upon examination, the materials retained most of their resiliency and could be stretched when worn to the size indicated on the tag.

Year, set and player ID tagging are not present, but this is normal for nearly all pre-1987 Knicks jerseys from Cosby and Sand-Knit.

Size specs for the NOB, team name and numbers were consistent with exemplars (NEW YORK = 3 inches; NOB = 2 3/4 inches; front number = 5 15/16 inches, back number same). The vertical arch of the NOB matches other Knicks exemplars of the era.

The jersey displays consistent, moderate use, with several tiny holes in the durene fabric. Additional written provenance dates the jersey to the memorable 1969-70 season.

This jersey received a final MEARS grade of A8, with one grading point subtracted for the missing Cosby tag and an additional point subtracted for the minor damage to the durene jersey shell.

GRADING NOTE: An 8 for a jersey that does not match tagged size and has no manufacturer tag? With our documentation of the shrinkage of almost all durene jerseys from the era, MEARS policy allows for this allowance and no points are subtracted while grading.

When asked to determine what a shirt may actually be, especially one that has neither a player identification or year, it can be very challenging indeed. This was the case recently when we received a pinstripe jersey that consisted of alternating red and blue pinstripes on a cream colored shirt with a now lavender color intertwined NY on the left breast and a Spalding tag in the cadet style collar. Following is a step-by-step detailed account of how we reached a conclusion as to what the shirt actually was.

First, the shirt is examined on a light table for changes and alterations. In this case, was the NY original to the shirt and was anything ever placed under or over this emblem. The NY has faded to lavender, the same color found on all of the 1927-28 era Yankee jerseys we have seen. You could plainly see the stitching was original and that nothing was ever replaced. In addition, through multiple washings, the thin felt NY had pulled away in places having shrunk at a different rate than the flannel jersey and the outline and original thread was still in place where the original sized (pre shrunk) NY had been applied. The Spalding tag in the collar was full size, no double set of holes and the collar had never been opened up either on top or bottom and the tag was not sewn through the back, all of which were proper and original.

We used the MEARS guide to manufacturing tags to determine that the Spalding tag in the collar dated back to at least 1915 and maybe 1914 (the most notable change from the pre 1914 tag is that AD 1876 is dropped from bottom inner circle and is replaced by the phrase Made in USA) as a transitional starting point of this style of tag and extended through approximately 1928 giving a year either way for transition of new tags and the final exhaustion of all of the older tags. This helped narrow down the potential years of manufacture.

We next consulted Marc Okkonen’s book “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” to determine which team, if any, used this style of shirt and a similar font, the NY chest logo, either the Giants or Yankees. Given this book converted black and white photographs into color drawings, we were looking for similar styles of the collar, pinstripes and logo. We determined that the logo was correct for the Yankees and that the same style logo found on a pinstripe home shirt first appeared in 1915 and was used through 1916, after which the logo was dropped from the breast and before which, the shirts had no stripes. This also matched our data base information on the Spalding tag dating. We also determined that the NY was definitely not the Giants as the font style was all-wrong. Marc’s book did not show the two color striping pattern nor did his drawing indicate a cadet collar, rather he pictured both the 1915-16 shirts with what appeared to be a standard sun collar, the small strip of material sewn into the collar to give a two tier appearance, an annoyance that a lot of players cut out of the shirts and something that was dropped from production by the late 1930’s. The cadet collar is a stand up collar similar to the old 1960’s Nehru jackets with the small gap in front. These nuances, when compared to an actual shirt with regards to Marc’s images, are pretty standard. He used black and white photographs for his drawings and without an actual shirt to compare to, he would have no idea of stripes color, only if they were dark or light. Having determined the jersey was most likely a 1915 or 1916 New York Yankees home pinstripe, the next logical step was to try and find some actual pictures that might show this style of shirt being worn and might help in determining whether or not the Yankees wore the cadet style jersey rather than the sun collar variety shown in Marc’s book.

One of the first places we go when searching for photographs is our data base where we have been downloading images of players and their jerseys from the Internet for the last couple of years but we had nothing concrete as this shirt is extremely early and we had never done one from this era for the Yankees. Corbis proved more valuable and we found image # U26340INP which shows New York manager Duke Ferrell along with McGraw in which you can clearly see that the shirt is not only a cadet style collar but the style of the NY is identical and it is a pin stripe jersey and the buttons appear dark in this black and white photograph dated April 9, 1915. Another photograph # BE047371 dated July 7, 1915 shows Elmer Layden stretching to catch a ball and the collar and NY are also clearly identifiable and are again, the same as the shirt in question.

We next searched all of the books pertaining to early baseball in the extensive MEARS library and found the book on the New York Yankees written by Donald Hoag and on page 22 is a shot of Ray Caldwell with a trainer and the shirt style has the same pinstripe material with the cadet collar and the identical NY font. Unlike the Corbis photograph, this picture was not dated yet the style matched perfectly to the Corbis photos as well as our jersey. Caldwell pitched with New York from 1910 thru 1918, which still fell into our window period of 1915-16. According to the uniform book, the Yankees did not have any insignia on the breast of their jerseys from 1917 or 1918. In 1912 during Caldwell’s tenure, there was an NY on a pin stripe shirt but this pre dates our Spalding tag. The years 1913 & 1914 sported a solid home shirt with the NY. Therefore, the only years that sported pinstriped home jerseys with the NY that coincided with both our tag dating and Caldwell’s years with the team were either 1915 or 1916. In addition, Corbis photograph # U40957INP shows a team photograph of the Yankees on April 20, 1916, opening game at New York, in shirts with no insignia on the breast even though Marc’s book shows the 1916 team as having both the NY fronts as well as the plain fronts although we could find no other 1916 dated photographs to prove whether or not the book was correct in showing insignia’s on the 1916 shirts. Therefore, we have no photographic evidence to prove that the shirt could have been worn in 1916. We have dated proof that it was not worn from 1917 thru 1928, the last year of this particular style Spalding tag. There is picture of Ed Sweeney on page 15 of Hoag’s book, a catcher who finished with the Yankees in 1915 and he is wearing a solid shirt with a NY font. We know this is not a 1915 and given that the only years Okkonen shows a solid shirt during Sweeney’s tenure with the NY font is 1912 thru 1914 and the earliest our jersey could be would be 1914 and this would have to be a transition era for this style Spalding tag as they were using the AD 1876 in the circle thru 1913. We could find no dated 1914 photograph either supporting or refuting Okkonen’s 1914 images and the Sweeney picture further strengthens his argument. Therefore, if the 1916 opening day picture shows the Yankees with no insignia on the breast and 1914 shows a solid shirt sans pinstripe and the Spalding tag in our jersey goes back no further than 1914, we must conclude that the jersey is a 1915 New York Yankees home jersey and the earliest example we have ever seen. To be on the safe side, we will used the word “circa” 1915 just in case it could spill into either part of 1914 or 1916 but nothing points to that at present.

Lastly, we shot pictures of the jersey and converted them to black and white images to compare with the vintage black and white photographs at hand. All of the dark and light hues compared favorably to every picture we had on hand. Since no color pictures exist, we must assume that the alternate blue/red pinstripes are correct since both show up as dark stripes and the buttons appear dark as well. I wish that I could tell you that with all of this research, we could tell you who the player was who wore this jersey but there is no player id anywhere on the shirt. No marked laundry tag or stitched name is present. Given that no teams in the major leagues were wearing numbers in 1915, it would be all but impossible to determine which player might have worn it. The only way to determine this would be to gather a sample of DNA from a relative of every player that was on the1915 team roster. You may be able to narrow down the possible players by sizing the 39 players on the team and eliminating players based on the size of the shirt compared with the players size but they wore shirts on the larger size back then and at best, you might be able to eliminate maybe 20% of the players not to mention the trainers, coaches and managers that potentially wore the jersey. Should it have had a name embroidered? That is a good question. We have no surplus of these early shirts to come to any concrete conclusion. The 1915 Boston Red Sox jersey that just sold had a laundry tag with an area meant for the player to write in his name. If so, where is the laundry tag on this shirt? Maybe it was an extra or maybe it went down to the minors and the name was removed. We will never know since the tale goes back 91 years and there is nobody around anymore who was there to have known. Even without any positive player identification, any shirt dating to the early years of the American League and especially the New York Yankees is a find worthy of any baseball jersey collection. Armed with the proper research material right at hand makes identifying such rare jerseys much easier than in years past but as you can see, it still takes a lot of time and research but in this case, it really paid off.

Till next time,

David Bushing

When asked to determine what a shirt may actually be, especially one that has neither a player identification or year, it can be very challenging indeed. This was the case recently when we received a pinstripe jersey that consisted of alternating red and blue pinstripes on a cream colored shirt with a now lavender color intertwined NY on the left breast and a Spalding tag in the cadet style collar. Following is a step-by-step detailed account of how we reached a conclusion as to what the shirt actually was.

First, the shirt is examined on a light table for changes and alterations. In this case, was the NY original to the shirt and was anything ever placed under or over this emblem. The NY has faded to lavender, the same color found on all of the 1927-28 era Yankee jerseys we have seen. You could plainly see the stitching was original and that nothing was ever replaced. In addition, through multiple washings, the thin felt NY had pulled away in places having shrunk at a different rate than the flannel jersey and the outline and original thread was still in place where the original sized (pre shrunk) NY had been applied. The Spalding tag in the collar was full size, no double set of holes and the collar had never been opened up either on top or bottom and the tag was not sewn through the back, all of which were proper and original.

We used the MEARS guide to manufacturing tags to determine that the Spalding tag in the collar dated back to at least 1915 and maybe 1914 (the most notable change from the pre 1914 tag is that AD 1876 is dropped from bottom inner circle and is replaced by the phrase Made in USA) as a transitional starting point of this style of tag and extended through approximately 1928 giving a year either way for transition of new tags and the final exhaustion of all of the older tags. This helped narrow down the potential years of manufacture.

We next consulted Marc Okkonen’s book “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” to determine which team, if any, used this style of shirt and a similar font, the NY chest logo, either the Giants or Yankees. Given this book converted black and white photographs into color drawings, we were looking for similar styles of the collar, pinstripes and logo. We determined that the logo was correct for the Yankees and that the same style logo found on a pinstripe home shirt first appeared in 1915 and was used through 1916, after which the logo was dropped from the breast and before which, the shirts had no stripes. This also matched our data base information on the Spalding tag dating. We also determined that the NY was definitely not the Giants as the font style was all-wrong. Marc’s book did not show the two color striping pattern nor did his drawing indicate a cadet collar, rather he pictured both the 1915-16 shirts with what appeared to be a standard sun collar, the small strip of material sewn into the collar to give a two tier appearance, an annoyance that a lot of players cut out of the shirts and something that was dropped from production by the late 1930’s. The cadet collar is a stand up collar similar to the old 1960’s Nehru jackets with the small gap in front. These nuances, when compared to an actual shirt with regards to Marc’s images, are pretty standard. He used black and white photographs for his drawings and without an actual shirt to compare to, he would have no idea of stripes color, only if they were dark or light. Having determined the jersey was most likely a 1915 or 1916 New York Yankees home pinstripe, the next logical step was to try and find some actual pictures that might show this style of shirt being worn and might help in determining whether or not the Yankees wore the cadet style jersey rather than the sun collar variety shown in Marc’s book.

One of the first places we go when searching for photographs is our data base where we have been downloading images of players and their jerseys from the Internet for the last couple of years but we had nothing concrete as this shirt is extremely early and we had never done one from this era for the Yankees. Corbis proved more valuable and we found image # U26340INP which shows New York manager Duke Ferrell along with McGraw in which you can clearly see that the shirt is not only a cadet style collar but the style of the NY is identical and it is a pin stripe jersey and the buttons appear dark in this black and white photograph dated April 9, 1915. Another photograph # BE047371 dated July 7, 1915 shows Elmer Layden stretching to catch a ball and the collar and NY are also clearly identifiable and are again, the same as the shirt in question.

We next searched all of the books pertaining to early baseball in the extensive MEARS library and found the book on the New York Yankees written by Donald Hoag and on page 22 is a shot of Ray Caldwell with a trainer and the shirt style has the same pinstripe material with the cadet collar and the identical NY font. Unlike the Corbis photograph, this picture was not dated yet the style matched perfectly to the Corbis photos as well as our jersey. Caldwell pitched with New York from 1910 thru 1918, which still fell into our window period of 1915-16. According to the uniform book, the Yankees did not have any insignia on the breast of their jerseys from 1917 or 1918. In 1912 during Caldwell’s tenure, there was an NY on a pin stripe shirt but this pre dates our Spalding tag. The years 1913 & 1914 sported a solid home shirt with the NY. Therefore, the only years that sported pinstriped home jerseys with the NY that coincided with both our tag dating and Caldwell’s years with the team were either 1915 or 1916. In addition, Corbis photograph # U40957INP shows a team photograph of the Yankees on April 20, 1916, opening game at New York, in shirts with no insignia on the breast even though Marc’s book shows the 1916 team as having both the NY fronts as well as the plain fronts although we could find no other 1916 dated photographs to prove whether or not the book was correct in showing insignia’s on the 1916 shirts. Therefore, we have no photographic evidence to prove that the shirt could have been worn in 1916. We have dated proof that it was not worn from 1917 thru 1928, the last year of this particular style Spalding tag. There is picture of Ed Sweeney on page 15 of Hoag’s book, a catcher who finished with the Yankees in 1915 and he is wearing a solid shirt with a NY font. We know this is not a 1915 and given that the only years Okkonen shows a solid shirt during Sweeney’s tenure with the NY font is 1912 thru 1914 and the earliest our jersey could be would be 1914 and this would have to be a transition era for this style Spalding tag as they were using the AD 1876 in the circle thru 1913. We could find no dated 1914 photograph either supporting or refuting Okkonen’s 1914 images and the Sweeney picture further strengthens his argument. Therefore, if the 1916 opening day picture shows the Yankees with no insignia on the breast and 1914 shows a solid shirt sans pinstripe and the Spalding tag in our jersey goes back no further than 1914, we must conclude that the jersey is a 1915 New York Yankees home jersey and the earliest example we have ever seen. To be on the safe side, we will used the word “circa” 1915 just in case it could spill into either part of 1914 or 1916 but nothing points to that at present.

Lastly, we shot pictures of the jersey and converted them to black and white images to compare with the vintage black and white photographs at hand. All of the dark and light hues compared favorably to every picture we had on hand. Since no color pictures exist, we must assume that the alternate blue/red pinstripes are correct since both show up as dark stripes and the buttons appear dark as well. I wish that I could tell you that with all of this research, we could tell you who the player was who wore this jersey but there is no player id anywhere on the shirt. No marked laundry tag or stitched name is present. Given that no teams in the major leagues were wearing numbers in 1915, it would be all but impossible to determine which player might have worn it. The only way to determine this would be to gather a sample of DNA from a relative of every player that was on the1915 team roster. You may be able to narrow down the possible players by sizing the 39 players on the team and eliminating players based on the size of the shirt compared with the players size but they wore shirts on the larger size back then and at best, you might be able to eliminate maybe 20% of the players not to mention the trainers, coaches and managers that potentially wore the jersey. Should it have had a name embroidered? That is a good question. We have no surplus of these early shirts to come to any concrete conclusion. The 1915 Boston Red Sox jersey that just sold had a laundry tag with an area meant for the player to write in his name. If so, where is the laundry tag on this shirt? Maybe it was an extra or maybe it went down to the minors and the name was removed. We will never know since the tale goes back 91 years and there is nobody around anymore who was there to have known. Even without any positive player identification, any shirt dating to the early years of the American League and especially the New York Yankees is a find worthy of any baseball jersey collection. Armed with the proper research material right at hand makes identifying such rare jerseys much easier than in years past but as you can see, it still takes a lot of time and research but in this case, it really paid off.

Till next time,

David Bushing