Every once in a while I come across a photograph that I have long been looking for. In this case it had nothing to do with a player or style, rather something I have been looking to confirm for myself and the collecting public since I felt it has been recorded and reported incorrectly for years. The topic has to do with supplemental tagging that can be found on McAuliffe products from the 1940s and 1950s.

For the most part when I see these jerseys offered with numerical supplemental tagging with a number and inch annotations such as “2 ins”, 3 ins”, 5 ins” etc, these are referred to as indications of extra length in the tail. To be brutally honest, I have also seen this recorded on MEARS letters that were produced in the past as well. I really never thought this was the case and now I have what I think is some interesting evidence to support my position. My position being that these annotations refer to sleeve and not tail length.

The long awaited picture presented itself as I was pouring over images at the booth of the John Rogers Archive while at the National. Trust me, if you’re a uniform researcher, access to what John and his crew bring is worth the price and time of going to the National. The photograph in question was one from 29 June, 1956 and it featured a collection of New York Giants players in the home jerseys with the tail tagging visible for all the players. That image is provided here for your reference.

What you will see is that the players all wore a size 44 jersey, and while their heights and weights ranged from 5’, 11”; 175lbs to 6’,2”; 190lbs, all four of these uniforms bore annotations of “3 ins”. I have also included images and contemporary sizing date (source being period team yearbooks) of other uniforms from this same general time frame. These too are of jerseys that were tagged as a size 44 and contained similar annotations for “2 ins”, “3 ins”, and up to “5 ins”. When we roll this data in with that of the players pictured, this is what we have as a composite snapshot arranged by player height from shortest to tallest:

Jackie Brandt: 5’,11”; 175: “3 ins”

Foster Castleman: 5’,11”; 175lbs: “3 ins”

Gail Harris: 6’; 195lbs: “2 ins”

Monte Irvin: 6’, 1”; 195lbs: “3ins”

Bill White: 6’,1”; 185lbs: “3 ins”

Dayrl Spencer: 6’, 2”; 190lbs: “3 ins”

Al Worthington: 6’,2”; 205lbs: “5 ins”

Mickey McDermott: 6’, 2”; 170lbs: “2 ins”

Remember these are all sized 44 jerseys, yet if we are to believe as we have long been told that these annotations reflect “extra length”, then don’t you find it odd that the players who are 5’,11” have longer jerseys than some who are 6’,1” and 6’, 2”? Of course the argument could be made that a player wears what he likes to wear and maybe these guys just preferred longer jerseys.

One of this issues that I think comes into play is that a number of folks have never given much thought to how to actually measure or determine a sleeve length. The sleeve length is determined by the length of that portion of the fabric that extends from the “outer seam” of the underarm gusset (where it actually becomes a sleeve) to the end of the sleeve cuff. If you have a jersey pictured like those examples provided, have a little fun and measure this out for yourself. I’d love to hear what you come up with and please consider sending photos we could share with others as well.

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

Dave Grob

For questions and comments on this article, please feel to drop me a line at Dave Grob1@aol.com

Every once in a while I come across a photograph that I have long been looking for. In this case it had nothing to do with a player or style, rather something I have been looking to confirm for myself and the collecting public since I felt it has been recorded and reported incorrectly for years. The topic has to do with supplemental tagging that can be found on McAuliffe products from the 1940s and 1950s.

For the most part when I see these jerseys offered with numerical supplemental tagging with a number and inch annotations such as “2 ins”, 3 ins”, 5 ins” etc, these are referred to as indications of extra length in the tail. To be brutally honest, I have also seen this recorded on MEARS letters that were produced in the past as well. I really never thought this was the case and now I have what I think is some interesting evidence to support my position. My position being that these annotations refer to sleeve and not tail length.

The long awaited picture presented itself as I was pouring over images at the booth of the John Rogers Archive while at the National. Trust me, if you’re a uniform researcher, access to what John and his crew bring is worth the price and time of going to the National. The photograph in question was one from 29 June, 1956 and it featured a collection of New York Giants players in the home jerseys with the tail tagging visible for all the players. That image is provided here for your reference.

What you will see is that the players all wore a size 44 jersey, and while their heights and weights ranged from 5’, 11”; 175lbs to 6’,2”; 190lbs, all four of these uniforms bore annotations of “3 ins”. I have also included images and contemporary sizing date (source being period team yearbooks) of other uniforms from this same general time frame. These too are of jerseys that were tagged as a size 44 and contained similar annotations for “2 ins”, “3 ins”, and up to “5 ins”. When we roll this data in with that of the players pictured, this is what we have as a composite snapshot arranged by player height from shortest to tallest:

Jackie Brandt: 5’,11”; 175: “3 ins”

Foster Castleman: 5’,11”; 175lbs: “3 ins”

Gail Harris: 6’; 195lbs: “2 ins”

Monte Irvin: 6’, 1”; 195lbs: “3ins”

Bill White: 6’,1”; 185lbs: “3 ins”

Dayrl Spencer: 6’, 2”; 190lbs: “3 ins”

Al Worthington: 6’,2”; 205lbs: “5 ins”

Mickey McDermott: 6’, 2”; 170lbs: “2 ins”

Remember these are all sized 44 jerseys, yet if we are to believe as we have long been told that these annotations reflect “extra length”, then don’t you find it odd that the players who are 5’,11” have longer jerseys than some who are 6’,1” and 6’, 2”? Of course the argument could be made that a player wears what he likes to wear and maybe these guys just preferred longer jerseys.

One of this issues that I think comes into play is that a number of folks have never given much thought to how to actually measure or determine a sleeve length. The sleeve length is determined by the length of that portion of the fabric that extends from the “outer seam” of the underarm gusset (where it actually becomes a sleeve) to the end of the sleeve cuff. If you have a jersey pictured like those examples provided, have a little fun and measure this out for yourself. I’d love to hear what you come up with and please consider sending photos we could share with others as well.

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

Dave Grob

For questions and comments on this article, please feel to drop me a line at Dave Grob1@aol.com

MEARS is an acronym for Memorabilia Evaluation And Research Services…O.K. I am sure that comes as a blinding flash of the obvious. Evaluations have always been at the forefront of the organizational service lines, but what about Research Services? For the most part this has involved providing content to the collecting community via the articles posted here. It was suggested to me a while back that we may want to consider providing specific research products for collectors to leverage in the form of team, manufacturer, or player guides. On a personal level, I have always loved the idea.

I started toying with ideas and concepts and thought it would be a worthwhile project to produce a series of player specific uniform reference guides. I suspect these could evolve into ones that featured both uniforms and bats. While I have done a fairly significant amount of research and writing on bat related topics over the past few years, my first love remains uniforms so I think this is where I will focus.

While these could be prepared on most any player, I have always wanted to take a serious look at those I consider greats of game. I have performed research and evaluations on many of their jerseys and have always enjoyed the work. What I have today is fairly detailed “content concept” of what I think these products might look like. Formatting is envisioned at being in the 10-12 page range, excluding introduction and cover. Initially, I think the “starting lineup might look like this:

-Ted Williams

-Jackie Robinson

-Mickey Mantle

-Hank Aaron

-Willie Mays

While efforts could certainly be undertaken for Pre-War Greats as well, the farther back in time you go the difficult, time consuming, and expensive the efforts become to provide a credible product. With all that being said, provided today is the “content concept” for Ted Williams. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts on the idea (DaveGrob1@aol.com)

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

Dave Grob

Theodore Samuel “Ted” Williams

A Collector’s Uniform Reference Guide

As children we all had dreams and aspirations of greatness and in that respect Ted Williams was an average child, but that’s where the average story ends. In his early teens, Ted longed to be an envisioned himself as becoming “The Greatest Hitter That Ever Lived.” It would not take long for others to see that his brash and boastful manner had substance. Arriving on the scene with the Boston Red Sox in spring training as a rookie, the skinny kid made his presence known right away when he was told what a treat it would be for him to see the legendary Jimmy Foxx in the batting cage. To that the wily youth replied “wait till Foxx sees me hit.”

From the time Ted Williams first donned a Red Sox uniform in 1939 until he hung it up for the last time on September 28th 1960, he captured the attention of the Nation both on and off the diamond. While many other ball players from his generation performed military service in either World War II or Korea, Ted Williams is the only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to have lost portions of his playing career to both conflicts. In Korea, Williams lost more than at bats; he almost lost his life as a Marine Aviator.

For me, the thing that always set Ted Williams apart from being average was his sense of self and the responsibilities that went with that. Fast hands, superior eye site, and a disciplined strike zone are not uncommon attributes for a major league player. The courage to challenge these same talents in yourself during extreme circumstances are. In 1941 Williams showed this to world by his refusal to back into a .400 average on the final day of the season. Banging out six hits in eight trips to the plate, Ted finished the 1941 campaign with a .406 batting average making him the last of the .400 hitters. Triple Crowns would follow in 1942 and 1947, American League Most Valuable Player Awards in 1946 and 1949. Ted Williams did it all over some nineteen seasons and he always did it in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

Provided here for your enjoyment and reference is some information about those uniforms. It is by no means a definitive work on the subject since there is still much we don’t know and likely never will. This information also does address potential issues/problems that can only be discerned through a detailed physical examination and study of the jersey itself. It is only intended to serve as a reference and guide with respect to helping you decide for yourself “what right might like and why.” Ted Williams was a student of the game and showed tremendous restraint and discipline at the plate. If you are considering adding one his jerseys to your collection, these would traits you would be well served in emulating.

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Sizing Data)

Use of contemporary sizing data is preferred to that offered by static references. This allows you to make a more accurate assessment of the appropriateness of the size relative to the time frame the jersey is represented as being from. As you can see by the number of sources, finding this information is not as easy as using one of the static references, but it is more accurate for any given year.

Static References

6’,3”; 205 lbs (Baseball-Reference.com)

6’,3”; 205 lbs (Total Baseball)

Contemporary Dated References

1939 Period Newspaper: 6’,3”; 169 lbs

1940 Period Newspaper: No height listed; 170 lbs

1941 Play Ball, Card # 14: 6,’ 3”; 175 lbs

*1942 Period Newspaper: No height listed; 183 lbs

1943-1945: Military Service

1946 Baseball Souvenir Program (Boston Globe): 6’,3”; 180 lbs

1947 (No Specific Year Data Found At This Time)

1948 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 3”; 190 lbs

1949 Leaf Card # 76: 6,’3”; 190 lbs

1950 Bowman Card # 98: 6,’3”; 190 lbs

1951 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs

1952 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs
**1953 (No Specific Year Data Found At This Time)

**1954 The Mutual Baseball Almanac: 6,’ 3”; 195 lbs

1955 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs

1956 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1957 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1958 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1959 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’,4”; 215 lbs

1960 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”;215lbs

* Newspaper account with Williams commenting on his weight during his recent induction physical. Includes quote by Williams that the 183 pounds is “15 pounds more than I’ve ever weighed before.” This is fairly consistent with the 1939 reported weight of 169 lbs.

** Red Sox Team Yearbooks not published prior to 1951, nor in 1953-1954.

A number of Ted Williams’ jerseys have been offered throughout the collecting community over the years. They have ranged in size from 44-48 for his playing days to sizes 48/50 for his time as a manager in both Washington and Texas. Based on sizing data, I would offer this suggested template as a guide:

Pre-War: Size 44

c 1946-1948: Size 44-46

c 1949-1958: Size 46

c 1959-1960: Size 46-48

Post Career: Size 48-50

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Manufacturers’ Data)

In looking at any prospective Ted Williams jersey, you will want to have some level of comfort with seeing that the uniform was manufactured by a likely or known supplier of jerseys to the Boston Red Sox during the year/time frame in question. While production/manufacturing records for such information are not readily available, there ways you can still make informed observations and equally informed decisions leveraging both trend and imagery analysis.

Trend Analysis: This refers to looking at data collected from period Red Sox uniforms with an emphasis on the “common player.” By this I mean if the common player jerseys are showing up as having been manufactured by Spalding, Wilson, or say McAuliffe for any given year, then it is reasonable to expect that the Ted Williams jersey from that same year or period should follow the same trend. The best source for this information are auction catalogs or capturing data from on-line offerings as well.

Imagery Analysis: This refers to looking at period images in order to ascertain information about the various aspects of the jersey, including the manufacturer. In some cases, significant data can be obtained in this manner. Imagery analysis requires more than simply searching Getty, Corbis, or other on line references. These sites are great, but research and analysis requires more than limiting or restricting your efforts to what is free and easy. If you want to do it well, like most things in life, it will require time and effort. If you search Corbis images for “Ted Williams” you will come up with almost 800 images. If you search Getty Images the same search will yield over 350 results. In either event you would not have come across this photograph. Take a look at this offered image from page 221 of “Red Sox Century: The Definitive History” by Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson and let’s “analyze” it for all the information we can gain from it (PLATE I). The caption contains information that identifies the players as Ted Williams and Bobby Doer, but there is no reference to the date.

-We can date this image to 1939 by the presence of the Baseball Centennial patch worn by both Williams and Doer. Although the details of the patch are not clear, the shape of the patch eliminates it from being the “Hale America” HEALTH patch worn in 1942. No patch was worn in 1941 and Williams was in the service during 1943-1945 so the patch can’t be the “Stars & Stripes patch. It is not the 1951 American League 50th Anniversary patch worn in 1951. These are only years during the Williams’ era that the Red Sox wore sleeve patches, so the image is from 1939 or the remote chance it is a spring training 1940 photograph.

– We know that Ted Williams had a preference for shorter sleeves since his are cropped to a length that removed the band of red soutache that trimmed the sleeve cuffs. We can also see that these have been left un-hemmed.

-We know that the jersey Williams is wearing is a Spalding product, size 44, and that his name was sewn into the upper part of the rear collar. We know that the flag tag used to denote the size is the smaller version used by Spalding during this general period as opposed to the larger style.

-We know that the red soutache that was used to trim the collar and placket does not extend the entire length of the button line.

-We know that these jerseys feature Raglan sleeves and not the Set-In style.

Consider this image from 1954 (PLATE II). This image not only confirms McAuliffe as the supplier of road jerseys to the Boston Red Sox, but it also offers insights on how the products were tagged with supplemental information for that year (“1954”=Year; “44”=Size”, “3in” = sleeve length; “4” = player number).

Before going any further on known and likely suppliers of jerseys to the Boston Red Sox during period of 1939-1960, it is important to provide some background information on the Tim McAuliffe Company. McAuliffe was never a manufacturer of uniforms in the same sense as say Spalding or Wilson. McAuliffe sold uniforms that were manufactured by other producers. These included partnering efforts with Spalding, Wilson, and later on the Stall & Dean Company. McAuliffe products provided to the Boston Red Sox through Spalding and Wilson typically features duel tagging. This is a something that appears to end in the early 1950s, possibly as the relationship with Stall & Dean became established. To date, I have not found any credible evidence to suggest that other period manufacturers such as Rawlings or the Horace Partridge Company provided uniforms to the Boston Red Sox during the 1939-1960 timeframe.

With all of this in mind, I would offer this suggested manufacturers’ template as a guide:

c 1939-1940: Spalding

c 1941-1942: Spalding/McAuliffe

1943-1945: No uniforms for Ted Williams

c 1946-1951: Wilson, Wilson/McAuliffe, McAuliffe

c 1952-1960: McAuliffe

When considering likely manufacturers for the jersey in question, you also have to consider the style of manufacturers tag present in the jersey as these have changed over time as well. As much as collectors would like to believe that there are hard and fast rules for when these tags were used, I don’t feel this is a reasonable assumption or expectation. It is always possible that a particular manufacturers tag was used after a known/suspected transition time. It is also possible that they may have been introduced a year or so before the trend indicates. There are also such factors as changes in supplemental tagging (size/laundry instructions) that occur during the period of when a manufacturers tag was thought to have been used. Manufacturers tagging is only one factor to consider as part of the overall mosaic of analysis required to make an informed opinion about the jersey you are looking at. This ties back directly to the idea of leveraging common jerseys in order to perform trend analysis.

With all of this in mind, I would offer the information in PLATE III-PLATE V as suggested manufacturers’ tagging template as a guide. Please note that the referenced dates to not always coincide with the overall likely use dates of the tags. This date range only applies to use during the 1939-1960 Williams’ era.

As you examine the manufacturers tagging, be vigilant for tags that have been trimmed or have the boarders “close cropped.” This is often done to mask the open seam holes that will be present if the tag was removed from one jersey and sewn to the one you are looking at. You will also want to ensure that the supplemental information is problem free as well. The 1940s Wilson/Wilson-McAuliffe/McAuliffe products typically feature the player name sewn to a felt swatch that has been affixed to the jersey below the collar line. These are an easy item to add to any jersey at a later date, and while they may look great in a picture, can constitute a reason or reasons to question the authenticity of the jersey.

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Player Preference/Customization)

A baseball uniform is nothing more than a work garment worn by a skilled artisan applying his craft for our enjoyment. It is not uncommon to find them modified for comfort or functionally practical reasons. With respect to jerseys, these modifications/preferences typically involve the sleeves and the tail length or cut of the jersey.

Pre-war Ted Williams’ jerseys are most typically found with post-production modifications to the sleeve length. While difficult to spot at times on the road offerings, this characteristic is easily seen in the home jerseys based on how the sleeve ends of the Red Sox jerseys were trimmed with bands of red soutache. This is something that can be found with his early post-war jerseys as well.

This is not to say that Williams’ no longer preferred shorter sleeves in the post 1946 period. It could simply be a matter that the sleeves were cut and sewn in a preferred shorter length at the time the jersey was cut/manufactured (PLATES VI-VIII).

Another sleeve aspect you will want to make note of is the actual style of the sleeve found on the jersey. Jersey sleeves come in two styles; those being Raglan and Set-in. The construction of a Raglan sleeve is different from that of typical shirt sleeves, because the raglan sleeve has a seam that goes from the underarm straight to the neckline. A Raglan sleeve is only one piece, instead of several pieces sewn together and attached to the shell of the garment. This style makes shirts easy to move around in and very comfortable. There is no shoulder seam in a garment with a Raglan sleeve. The “Set-In” sleeve is the other type. A sleeve joined to the body of a garment by a seam starting at the edge of the shoulder and continuing around the armhole. The 1942 image of Williams and DiMaggio provides a good illustrative example as seen below (Williams: Raglan /DiMaggio: Set-In) (PLATE IX).

Ted Williams:1939-1960 (Sleeve Patches/Arm Bands)

Patches

Sleeve patches and arm bands can be found on Boston Red Sox jerseys during various years during the Williams’ era. If these are original to the jersey or at least original period offerings, they can add value to the uniform in question. I mention original period offerings because it is rare to find jerseys with the original patches intact. Quite often you will find them as having been restored. Because of the availability of more modern replica patches, you will want to know how to spot the differences.

1939 Baseball Centennial Patch (PLATE X- XI)

1942 Hale America “HEALTH” Patch (PLATE XII)

1951 American League 50th Anniversary Patch (PLATE XIII)

Armbands

Twice during the Williams’ era the Red Sox wore memoriam armbands to pay tribute to recently departed personnel associated with the ball club. These instances occurred in Spring Training 1951 for the passing of former Red Sox General Manager Eddie Collins (d 25 March 1951) and in 1955 for the passing of Red Sox First Baseman Harry Agganis (d 27 June 1955).

With the Collins’ armbands having been worn in Spring Training of 1951, I would expect to find them or signs they were once present on jerseys from 1949 or 1950 since previous seasons jerseys are typically worn in Spring Training (PLATE XIV).

The Agganis armbands or signs that they were once present should be found on jerseys tagged/identified to the 1955 season. The exception might be a 1954 jersey that was carried over for the 1955 season (PLATE XV).

Depending on the current condition of the jersey, signs of the once applied armband might be difficult to detect. You should expect to find eveidence of seam holes or fabric cuts to the sleeve if the armband was removed in haste. If these are not readily apparent, examinization of the sleeve area with either a UV light or placing the fabric on a light table (or done in combination) might in fact reveal evidence not apparent to the naked eye.

MEARS is an acronym for Memorabilia Evaluation And Research Services…O.K. I am sure that comes as a blinding flash of the obvious. Evaluations have always been at the forefront of the organizational service lines, but what about Research Services? For the most part this has involved providing content to the collecting community via the articles posted here. It was suggested to me a while back that we may want to consider providing specific research products for collectors to leverage in the form of team, manufacturer, or player guides. On a personal level, I have always loved the idea.

I started toying with ideas and concepts and thought it would be a worthwhile project to produce a series of player specific uniform reference guides. I suspect these could evolve into ones that featured both uniforms and bats. While I have done a fairly significant amount of research and writing on bat related topics over the past few years, my first love remains uniforms so I think this is where I will focus.

While these could be prepared on most any player, I have always wanted to take a serious look at those I consider greats of game. I have performed research and evaluations on many of their jerseys and have always enjoyed the work. What I have today is fairly detailed “content concept” of what I think these products might look like. Formatting is envisioned at being in the 10-12 page range, excluding introduction and cover. Initially, I think the “starting lineup might look like this:

-Ted Williams

-Jackie Robinson

-Mickey Mantle

-Hank Aaron

-Willie Mays

While efforts could certainly be undertaken for Pre-War Greats as well, the farther back in time you go the difficult, time consuming, and expensive the efforts become to provide a credible product. With all that being said, provided today is the “content concept” for Ted Williams. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your thoughts on the idea (DaveGrob1@aol.com)

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

Dave Grob

Theodore Samuel “Ted” Williams

A Collector’s Uniform Reference Guide

As children we all had dreams and aspirations of greatness and in that respect Ted Williams was an average child, but that’s where the average story ends. In his early teens, Ted longed to be an envisioned himself as becoming “The Greatest Hitter That Ever Lived.” It would not take long for others to see that his brash and boastful manner had substance. Arriving on the scene with the Boston Red Sox in spring training as a rookie, the skinny kid made his presence known right away when he was told what a treat it would be for him to see the legendary Jimmy Foxx in the batting cage. To that the wily youth replied “wait till Foxx sees me hit.”

From the time Ted Williams first donned a Red Sox uniform in 1939 until he hung it up for the last time on September 28th 1960, he captured the attention of the Nation both on and off the diamond. While many other ball players from his generation performed military service in either World War II or Korea, Ted Williams is the only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to have lost portions of his playing career to both conflicts. In Korea, Williams lost more than at bats; he almost lost his life as a Marine Aviator.

For me, the thing that always set Ted Williams apart from being average was his sense of self and the responsibilities that went with that. Fast hands, superior eye site, and a disciplined strike zone are not uncommon attributes for a major league player. The courage to challenge these same talents in yourself during extreme circumstances are. In 1941 Williams showed this to world by his refusal to back into a .400 average on the final day of the season. Banging out six hits in eight trips to the plate, Ted finished the 1941 campaign with a .406 batting average making him the last of the .400 hitters. Triple Crowns would follow in 1942 and 1947, American League Most Valuable Player Awards in 1946 and 1949. Ted Williams did it all over some nineteen seasons and he always did it in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

Provided here for your enjoyment and reference is some information about those uniforms. It is by no means a definitive work on the subject since there is still much we don’t know and likely never will. This information also does address potential issues/problems that can only be discerned through a detailed physical examination and study of the jersey itself. It is only intended to serve as a reference and guide with respect to helping you decide for yourself “what right might like and why.” Ted Williams was a student of the game and showed tremendous restraint and discipline at the plate. If you are considering adding one his jerseys to your collection, these would traits you would be well served in emulating.

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Sizing Data)

Use of contemporary sizing data is preferred to that offered by static references. This allows you to make a more accurate assessment of the appropriateness of the size relative to the time frame the jersey is represented as being from. As you can see by the number of sources, finding this information is not as easy as using one of the static references, but it is more accurate for any given year.

Static References

6’,3”; 205 lbs (Baseball-Reference.com)

6’,3”; 205 lbs (Total Baseball)

Contemporary Dated References

1939 Period Newspaper: 6’,3”; 169 lbs

1940 Period Newspaper: No height listed; 170 lbs

1941 Play Ball, Card # 14: 6,’ 3”; 175 lbs

*1942 Period Newspaper: No height listed; 183 lbs

1943-1945: Military Service

1946 Baseball Souvenir Program (Boston Globe): 6’,3”; 180 lbs

1947 (No Specific Year Data Found At This Time)

1948 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 3”; 190 lbs

1949 Leaf Card # 76: 6,’3”; 190 lbs

1950 Bowman Card # 98: 6,’3”; 190 lbs

1951 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs

1952 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs
**1953 (No Specific Year Data Found At This Time)

**1954 The Mutual Baseball Almanac: 6,’ 3”; 195 lbs

1955 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 195 lbs

1956 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1957 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1958 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”; 198lbs

1959 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’,4”; 215 lbs

1960 Red Sox Yearbook: 6’, 4”;215lbs

* Newspaper account with Williams commenting on his weight during his recent induction physical. Includes quote by Williams that the 183 pounds is “15 pounds more than I’ve ever weighed before.” This is fairly consistent with the 1939 reported weight of 169 lbs.

** Red Sox Team Yearbooks not published prior to 1951, nor in 1953-1954.

A number of Ted Williams’ jerseys have been offered throughout the collecting community over the years. They have ranged in size from 44-48 for his playing days to sizes 48/50 for his time as a manager in both Washington and Texas. Based on sizing data, I would offer this suggested template as a guide:

Pre-War: Size 44

c 1946-1948: Size 44-46

c 1949-1958: Size 46

c 1959-1960: Size 46-48

Post Career: Size 48-50

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Manufacturers’ Data)

In looking at any prospective Ted Williams jersey, you will want to have some level of comfort with seeing that the uniform was manufactured by a likely or known supplier of jerseys to the Boston Red Sox during the year/time frame in question. While production/manufacturing records for such information are not readily available, there ways you can still make informed observations and equally informed decisions leveraging both trend and imagery analysis.

Trend Analysis: This refers to looking at data collected from period Red Sox uniforms with an emphasis on the “common player.” By this I mean if the common player jerseys are showing up as having been manufactured by Spalding, Wilson, or say McAuliffe for any given year, then it is reasonable to expect that the Ted Williams jersey from that same year or period should follow the same trend. The best source for this information are auction catalogs or capturing data from on-line offerings as well.

Imagery Analysis: This refers to looking at period images in order to ascertain information about the various aspects of the jersey, including the manufacturer. In some cases, significant data can be obtained in this manner. Imagery analysis requires more than simply searching Getty, Corbis, or other on line references. These sites are great, but research and analysis requires more than limiting or restricting your efforts to what is free and easy. If you want to do it well, like most things in life, it will require time and effort. If you search Corbis images for “Ted Williams” you will come up with almost 800 images. If you search Getty Images the same search will yield over 350 results. In either event you would not have come across this photograph. Take a look at this offered image from page 221 of “Red Sox Century: The Definitive History” by Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson and let’s “analyze” it for all the information we can gain from it (PLATE I). The caption contains information that identifies the players as Ted Williams and Bobby Doer, but there is no reference to the date.

-We can date this image to 1939 by the presence of the Baseball Centennial patch worn by both Williams and Doer. Although the details of the patch are not clear, the shape of the patch eliminates it from being the “Hale America” HEALTH patch worn in 1942. No patch was worn in 1941 and Williams was in the service during 1943-1945 so the patch can’t be the “Stars & Stripes patch. It is not the 1951 American League 50th Anniversary patch worn in 1951. These are only years during the Williams’ era that the Red Sox wore sleeve patches, so the image is from 1939 or the remote chance it is a spring training 1940 photograph.

– We know that Ted Williams had a preference for shorter sleeves since his are cropped to a length that removed the band of red soutache that trimmed the sleeve cuffs. We can also see that these have been left un-hemmed.

-We know that the jersey Williams is wearing is a Spalding product, size 44, and that his name was sewn into the upper part of the rear collar. We know that the flag tag used to denote the size is the smaller version used by Spalding during this general period as opposed to the larger style.

-We know that the red soutache that was used to trim the collar and placket does not extend the entire length of the button line.

-We know that these jerseys feature Raglan sleeves and not the Set-In style.

Consider this image from 1954 (PLATE II). This image not only confirms McAuliffe as the supplier of road jerseys to the Boston Red Sox, but it also offers insights on how the products were tagged with supplemental information for that year (“1954”=Year; “44”=Size”, “3in” = sleeve length; “4” = player number).

Before going any further on known and likely suppliers of jerseys to the Boston Red Sox during period of 1939-1960, it is important to provide some background information on the Tim McAuliffe Company. McAuliffe was never a manufacturer of uniforms in the same sense as say Spalding or Wilson. McAuliffe sold uniforms that were manufactured by other producers. These included partnering efforts with Spalding, Wilson, and later on the Stall & Dean Company. McAuliffe products provided to the Boston Red Sox through Spalding and Wilson typically features duel tagging. This is a something that appears to end in the early 1950s, possibly as the relationship with Stall & Dean became established. To date, I have not found any credible evidence to suggest that other period manufacturers such as Rawlings or the Horace Partridge Company provided uniforms to the Boston Red Sox during the 1939-1960 timeframe.

With all of this in mind, I would offer this suggested manufacturers’ template as a guide:

c 1939-1940: Spalding

c 1941-1942: Spalding/McAuliffe

1943-1945: No uniforms for Ted Williams

c 1946-1951: Wilson, Wilson/McAuliffe, McAuliffe

c 1952-1960: McAuliffe

When considering likely manufacturers for the jersey in question, you also have to consider the style of manufacturers tag present in the jersey as these have changed over time as well. As much as collectors would like to believe that there are hard and fast rules for when these tags were used, I don’t feel this is a reasonable assumption or expectation. It is always possible that a particular manufacturers tag was used after a known/suspected transition time. It is also possible that they may have been introduced a year or so before the trend indicates. There are also such factors as changes in supplemental tagging (size/laundry instructions) that occur during the period of when a manufacturers tag was thought to have been used. Manufacturers tagging is only one factor to consider as part of the overall mosaic of analysis required to make an informed opinion about the jersey you are looking at. This ties back directly to the idea of leveraging common jerseys in order to perform trend analysis.

With all of this in mind, I would offer the information in PLATE III-PLATE V as suggested manufacturers’ tagging template as a guide. Please note that the referenced dates to not always coincide with the overall likely use dates of the tags. This date range only applies to use during the 1939-1960 Williams’ era.

As you examine the manufacturers tagging, be vigilant for tags that have been trimmed or have the boarders “close cropped.” This is often done to mask the open seam holes that will be present if the tag was removed from one jersey and sewn to the one you are looking at. You will also want to ensure that the supplemental information is problem free as well. The 1940s Wilson/Wilson-McAuliffe/McAuliffe products typically feature the player name sewn to a felt swatch that has been affixed to the jersey below the collar line. These are an easy item to add to any jersey at a later date, and while they may look great in a picture, can constitute a reason or reasons to question the authenticity of the jersey.

Ted Williams: 1939-1960 (Player Preference/Customization)

A baseball uniform is nothing more than a work garment worn by a skilled artisan applying his craft for our enjoyment. It is not uncommon to find them modified for comfort or functionally practical reasons. With respect to jerseys, these modifications/preferences typically involve the sleeves and the tail length or cut of the jersey.

Pre-war Ted Williams’ jerseys are most typically found with post-production modifications to the sleeve length. While difficult to spot at times on the road offerings, this characteristic is easily seen in the home jerseys based on how the sleeve ends of the Red Sox jerseys were trimmed with bands of red soutache. This is something that can be found with his early post-war jerseys as well.

This is not to say that Williams’ no longer preferred shorter sleeves in the post 1946 period. It could simply be a matter that the sleeves were cut and sewn in a preferred shorter length at the time the jersey was cut/manufactured (PLATES VI-VIII).

Another sleeve aspect you will want to make note of is the actual style of the sleeve found on the jersey. Jersey sleeves come in two styles; those being Raglan and Set-in. The construction of a Raglan sleeve is different from that of typical shirt sleeves, because the raglan sleeve has a seam that goes from the underarm straight to the neckline. A Raglan sleeve is only one piece, instead of several pieces sewn together and attached to the shell of the garment. This style makes shirts easy to move around in and very comfortable. There is no shoulder seam in a garment with a Raglan sleeve. The “Set-In” sleeve is the other type. A sleeve joined to the body of a garment by a seam starting at the edge of the shoulder and continuing around the armhole. The 1942 image of Williams and DiMaggio provides a good illustrative example as seen below (Williams: Raglan /DiMaggio: Set-In) (PLATE IX).

Ted Williams:1939-1960 (Sleeve Patches/Arm Bands)

Patches

Sleeve patches and arm bands can be found on Boston Red Sox jerseys during various years during the Williams’ era. If these are original to the jersey or at least original period offerings, they can add value to the uniform in question. I mention original period offerings because it is rare to find jerseys with the original patches intact. Quite often you will find them as having been restored. Because of the availability of more modern replica patches, you will want to know how to spot the differences.

1939 Baseball Centennial Patch (PLATE X- XI)

1942 Hale America “HEALTH” Patch (PLATE XII)

1951 American League 50th Anniversary Patch (PLATE XIII)

Armbands

Twice during the Williams’ era the Red Sox wore memoriam armbands to pay tribute to recently departed personnel associated with the ball club. These instances occurred in Spring Training 1951 for the passing of former Red Sox General Manager Eddie Collins (d 25 March 1951) and in 1955 for the passing of Red Sox First Baseman Harry Agganis (d 27 June 1955).

With the Collins’ armbands having been worn in Spring Training of 1951, I would expect to find them or signs they were once present on jerseys from 1949 or 1950 since previous seasons jerseys are typically worn in Spring Training (PLATE XIV).

The Agganis armbands or signs that they were once present should be found on jerseys tagged/identified to the 1955 season. The exception might be a 1954 jersey that was carried over for the 1955 season (PLATE XV).

Depending on the current condition of the jersey, signs of the once applied armband might be difficult to detect. You should expect to find eveidence of seam holes or fabric cuts to the sleeve if the armband was removed in haste. If these are not readily apparent, examinization of the sleeve area with either a UV light or placing the fabric on a light table (or done in combination) might in fact reveal evidence not apparent to the naked eye.

Who wants to buy an A2 flannel uniform? I do and I was thrilled that a final bid of $921 was high enough to win it. For the work that I do, having on hand period products to work with and from is invaluable. When they have a chance of being a part of baseball history, it’s all the better. Connie Mack led the storied Philadelphia A’s for half a century with his last great run being the 1929-1931 Athletics. That ball club took the American League flag for three straight years. The tail end of that run coincided with the first part of the dating range of this uniform. Not only did I get a wonderful jersey, but a pair of pants, wool stirrups and white sanitary socks as well with each piece being a reference in and of itself. I also got something that transcends the dollar value of the uniform. I got the chance to do some very rewarding and enjoyable research that I’ll share with you today.

The jersey fabric weight also provided insights on the transition of materials in the early 1930s. This is in line with my recent article titled “Facts and Figures on Flannel Fabrics.” Additionally, the jersey is also the earliest Spalding product I have found with the cotton/elastic underarm gusset. This manner of ventilation is something that can be found in major league products well into the 1950s. So for those of you who are thinking that the combination of fabrics in the modern “Cool Base” jerseys is a great innovation, it’s really the case once again of taking a lesson from the past and making it work today. This is why I wanted this A2 jersey, it allows me to take lessons from the past and make them work today. With all that being said, let’s take a look at what I bought.

Subject: Lew Krausse Sr. c1931-1933 Philadelphia Athletics Road Jersey

Dating the Jersey and Player Attribution: When offered as Lot # 64 in Hunts December 2010 Auction, the jersey was listed as “c.1920s”. This estimation on the date is incorrect. While the jersey is without any form of supplemental year identification, it is possible to date the jersey to a more precise timeframe based on a combination of factors. (PLATE I)

1. Lew Krausse was a roster player for the Philadelphia Athletics for portions of the 1931-1933 seasons. With his name being applied on a cotton twill swatch sewn into the collar of the jersey (original to the jersey and sewn only through the first fold of material), the jersey can be attributed to him and the Philadelphia Athletics. In addition, the outline of the number #18 can be found on the back of the jersey when viewed on a light table or with UV lighting. This is the roster number associated with Krausse from 1931-1933.

2. The jersey features a couple of defining characteristics that appear in period images. The most notable is the blue soutache along the placket and collar line. Period images from 1931 indicate that this decorative blue braid was worn on the road uniforms in 1931-1933. Athletics road uniforms worn by players on the Athletics roster during this same time frame can be found with this soutache as having been removed, leaving only remnants.

3. Krausee was with the Athletics at various times and lengths throughout the 1931-1933 seasons, to include spring training of 1933. This is an important fact since uniform orders were largely based on players in spring training expected to make the major league roster for that year. Krausse stayed with the Athletics until 13 May 1933, when he was reassigned to the International League. Krause was brought back to the Athletics on 8 June of 1933, but would be given his final release on 18 July 1933.

4. Size: Lew Krausse Sr. was listed as being 6’, 170 lbs. Contemporary newspaper accounts will confirm his slight build. So much so that the 1 March 1933 edition of the Chester Pa, Chester Times found it noteworthy enough to mention that he had actually “put on six pounds.” The jersey is not tagged with a size, but this is not atypical of uniforms from the time frame. It does measure out to be between a size 40 and 42 jersey. As such, I would consider it to be of an appropriate size for Krausse and consistent with what I would expect to see for this time frame. (PLATES II-VII)

Construction: The jersey body is constructed with pearl gray professional quality 8 oz wool flannel. The fabric by weave and weight is period appropriate for a major league offering as compared to an on hand period Spalding 8 oz product (c1921-1925 Tigers road jersey) as well as 1934 period professional fabric samples of Goldsmith products. The jersey features Set-In sleeves and five (5) button front with light blue soutache having been originally sewn along the placket and collar area. Remnants of the soutache still remain. The jersey at one time featured a sun collar which has been neatly trimmed from the jersey. The underarm gussets are constructed with a cotton/elastic material. This manner of gusset construction is also a characteristic that can be found in period images as well of the Philadelphia Athletics. (PLATE VIII)

In looking at the jersey on both a light table and under UV lighting, signs of original “A” on the front are almost indiscernible. What is easier to see is the outline of a once present letter “M” seen in the left breast area. (PLATE X) The Montreal Royals were a Philadelphia Athletics International League affiliate in 1933-1934 (Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Montreal_Royals). This appears to account for the presence of the outline of the “M”. The jersey is accompanied by a pair of Spalding pants with the annotation of “38-38” and “36”. The length of these pants is 36” and the waist measurement is 38”. This leaves “38” for either year (1938) or supplemental player identification. The # 38 was not issued by the Athletics in 1938, so I would presume it to be the year identifier. The style of the Spalding manufacturers tag present in the jersey is consistent with the period of c 1915-1933, while those in the pants is consistent with the c 1936-1942 time frame. The solid blue wool stirrups and white sanitary socks appear to period appropriate for the Philadelphia Athletics as well.

Use and Wear: The jersey shows signs of heavy use and wear, typified by the general surface wear to the wool flannel fabric as well tears to the fabric in the rear of the collar. The sun collar has been cut away from the jersey and the blue soutache along the placket and collar area has all but been removed. In those places where the outer most portions of the soutache has been removed, what remains is a bead of fabric, largely faded in color, with the original color blue only found at the bottom of the placket. All lettering and numbers, original and subsequent have been removed. It appears that the number 18 was the only number applied to the jersey as there are no outlines of another. The bottom two buttons on the jersey have been replaced. The use and wear to the pants is heavier than that of the jersey, including 3 large vintage repairs and the replacement of the bottom button.

Opinion: The jersey possesses all of the characteristics that I would expect to find in a 1931-1933 Philadelphia Athletics road jersey manufactured by Spalding for use and wear by Lew Krausse, Sr. This timeframe includes the 1931 World Series, a series that Krausse was a roster player for. (PLATE IX) The MEARS grading criteria for pre-1988 jerseys begins with a base grade of 10 and five categories for deductions. I found these reasons to deduct points from this jersey:

Category I: -1 (Two replaced buttons at .5 each)

Category III: -3 (Missing A’s logo and number);-2 (Use by more than one player for more than one season)

Category V: -1 (Fabric tears/removal);-1 (Worn and missing soutache)

Only 2 points (of 3) was deducted for use by more than one player for more than one season because this is the primary contributing factor for the overall condition of the jersey. Only 1 point each was deducted for the soutache removal since period images confirm this as well as collar removal as a known team/period characteristic. Final Grade if I was grading this as a MEARS submission: A2.

This was a great pick up for me on both a personal and professional level. As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect. I know I do.

Dave Grob

For questions or comments on this article, please feel to contact me at DaveGrob1@aol.com.

Who wants to buy an A2 flannel uniform? I do and I was thrilled that a final bid of $921 was high enough to win it. For the work that I do, having on hand period products to work with and from is invaluable. When they have a chance of being a part of baseball history, it’s all the better. Connie Mack led the storied Philadelphia A’s for half a century with his last great run being the 1929-1931 Athletics. That ball club took the American League flag for three straight years. The tail end of that run coincided with the first part of the dating range of this uniform. Not only did I get a wonderful jersey, but a pair of pants, wool stirrups and white sanitary socks as well with each piece being a reference in and of itself. I also got something that transcends the dollar value of the uniform. I got the chance to do some very rewarding and enjoyable research that I’ll share with you today.

The jersey fabric weight also provided insights on the transition of materials in the early 1930s. This is in line with my recent article titled “Facts and Figures on Flannel Fabrics.” Additionally, the jersey is also the earliest Spalding product I have found with the cotton/elastic underarm gusset. This manner of ventilation is something that can be found in major league products well into the 1950s. So for those of you who are thinking that the combination of fabrics in the modern “Cool Base” jerseys is a great innovation, it’s really the case once again of taking a lesson from the past and making it work today. This is why I wanted this A2 jersey, it allows me to take lessons from the past and make them work today. With all that being said, let’s take a look at what I bought.

Subject: Lew Krausse Sr. c1931-1933 Philadelphia Athletics Road Jersey

Dating the Jersey and Player Attribution: When offered as Lot # 64 in Hunts December 2010 Auction, the jersey was listed as “c.1920s”. This estimation on the date is incorrect. While the jersey is without any form of supplemental year identification, it is possible to date the jersey to a more precise timeframe based on a combination of factors. (PLATE I)

1. Lew Krausse was a roster player for the Philadelphia Athletics for portions of the 1931-1933 seasons. With his name being applied on a cotton twill swatch sewn into the collar of the jersey (original to the jersey and sewn only through the first fold of material), the jersey can be attributed to him and the Philadelphia Athletics. In addition, the outline of the number #18 can be found on the back of the jersey when viewed on a light table or with UV lighting. This is the roster number associated with Krausse from 1931-1933.

2. The jersey features a couple of defining characteristics that appear in period images. The most notable is the blue soutache along the placket and collar line. Period images from 1931 indicate that this decorative blue braid was worn on the road uniforms in 1931-1933. Athletics road uniforms worn by players on the Athletics roster during this same time frame can be found with this soutache as having been removed, leaving only remnants.

3. Krausee was with the Athletics at various times and lengths throughout the 1931-1933 seasons, to include spring training of 1933. This is an important fact since uniform orders were largely based on players in spring training expected to make the major league roster for that year. Krausse stayed with the Athletics until 13 May 1933, when he was reassigned to the International League. Krause was brought back to the Athletics on 8 June of 1933, but would be given his final release on 18 July 1933.

4. Size: Lew Krausse Sr. was listed as being 6’, 170 lbs. Contemporary newspaper accounts will confirm his slight build. So much so that the 1 March 1933 edition of the Chester Pa, Chester Times found it noteworthy enough to mention that he had actually “put on six pounds.” The jersey is not tagged with a size, but this is not atypical of uniforms from the time frame. It does measure out to be between a size 40 and 42 jersey. As such, I would consider it to be of an appropriate size for Krausse and consistent with what I would expect to see for this time frame. (PLATES II-VII)

Construction: The jersey body is constructed with pearl gray professional quality 8 oz wool flannel. The fabric by weave and weight is period appropriate for a major league offering as compared to an on hand period Spalding 8 oz product (c1921-1925 Tigers road jersey) as well as 1934 period professional fabric samples of Goldsmith products. The jersey features Set-In sleeves and five (5) button front with light blue soutache having been originally sewn along the placket and collar area. Remnants of the soutache still remain. The jersey at one time featured a sun collar which has been neatly trimmed from the jersey. The underarm gussets are constructed with a cotton/elastic material. This manner of gusset construction is also a characteristic that can be found in period images as well of the Philadelphia Athletics. (PLATE VIII)

In looking at the jersey on both a light table and under UV lighting, signs of original “A” on the front are almost indiscernible. What is easier to see is the outline of a once present letter “M” seen in the left breast area. (PLATE X) The Montreal Royals were a Philadelphia Athletics International League affiliate in 1933-1934 (Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Montreal_Royals). This appears to account for the presence of the outline of the “M”. The jersey is accompanied by a pair of Spalding pants with the annotation of “38-38” and “36”. The length of these pants is 36” and the waist measurement is 38”. This leaves “38” for either year (1938) or supplemental player identification. The # 38 was not issued by the Athletics in 1938, so I would presume it to be the year identifier. The style of the Spalding manufacturers tag present in the jersey is consistent with the period of c 1915-1933, while those in the pants is consistent with the c 1936-1942 time frame. The solid blue wool stirrups and white sanitary socks appear to period appropriate for the Philadelphia Athletics as well.

Use and Wear: The jersey shows signs of heavy use and wear, typified by the general surface wear to the wool flannel fabric as well tears to the fabric in the rear of the collar. The sun collar has been cut away from the jersey and the blue soutache along the placket and collar area has all but been removed. In those places where the outer most portions of the soutache has been removed, what remains is a bead of fabric, largely faded in color, with the original color blue only found at the bottom of the placket. All lettering and numbers, original and subsequent have been removed. It appears that the number 18 was the only number applied to the jersey as there are no outlines of another. The bottom two buttons on the jersey have been replaced. The use and wear to the pants is heavier than that of the jersey, including 3 large vintage repairs and the replacement of the bottom button.

Opinion: The jersey possesses all of the characteristics that I would expect to find in a 1931-1933 Philadelphia Athletics road jersey manufactured by Spalding for use and wear by Lew Krausse, Sr. This timeframe includes the 1931 World Series, a series that Krausse was a roster player for. (PLATE IX) The MEARS grading criteria for pre-1988 jerseys begins with a base grade of 10 and five categories for deductions. I found these reasons to deduct points from this jersey:

Category I: -1 (Two replaced buttons at .5 each)

Category III: -3 (Missing A’s logo and number);-2 (Use by more than one player for more than one season)

Category V: -1 (Fabric tears/removal);-1 (Worn and missing soutache)

Only 2 points (of 3) was deducted for use by more than one player for more than one season because this is the primary contributing factor for the overall condition of the jersey. Only 1 point each was deducted for the soutache removal since period images confirm this as well as collar removal as a known team/period characteristic. Final Grade if I was grading this as a MEARS submission: A2.

This was a great pick up for me on both a personal and professional level. As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect. I know I do.

Dave Grob

For questions or comments on this article, please feel to contact me at DaveGrob1@aol.com.

I have only written a few articles dealing with caps, but they seem to be a big hit with collectors. When researching and writing about jerseys, I often mention the value of knowing what to look for with respect to manufactures’ characteristics. The one I most often reference is the button style on Macgregor-Goldsmith or MacGregor jerseys. When you see a manufacturer’s characteristic in an image, you can discern who may have manufactured the product the player is wearing or using. Bat and glove collectors have an easier time with this since labels on gloves or centerbrands on bats make this possible. But what about caps?

As I have said before, caps are just plain tough. With that being sad, today I would like to offer something that might be helpful when trying to determine what brand of cap a player might be wearing. The problem with what I am about to take you through is it will require a fairly detailed and clear image of the visor of the cap. Even with this, you may only be able to determine if the player is wearing a McAuliffe/ KM Pro Cap or not.

While I won’t rehash the articles I have previously written on Tim McAuliffe, we do know that according to records at the U.S. Patent Office, the Pro KM Cap logo was first commercially used on July 13th, 1953. Filing date for the registered trademark took place on February 4th 1954 and became registered on November 2nd 1954. The applicant was a Mr. Jacob I. Kaufman, filed under DBA (Doing Business As) The Leslie Company & Leslie Individual, 76 Essex Street, Boston MA. What you should also know from those previous articles is that Tim McAuliffe was never a sporting goods manufacturer…McAuliffe was a salesman who purchased finished jerseys and caps for subsequent sale. If you’re thinking Kaufman and McAuliffe along the lines of the K and M in KM Pro then go the head of the class.

What these pictures, supported by an advertisement in the 26 June, 1976 edition of the Sporting News, indicate is that we should expect to see seven (7) stitch lines in the visor of a McAuliffe/ KM Pro cap. Conversely, for other manufacturers we should expect to see something else. Why is worth knowing? Look back at the main image of Sandy Koufax. Say you are offered a cap that was said to have been worn by Koufax on 9 September 1965 and it comes with a great story (they always do, don’t they) and the cap was manufactured by McAuliffe/KM Pro. The cap has a vintage “32” written on the underside of the visor and is autographed “My perfect game cap…Sandy Koufax 9-9-1965.” The seller even has a picture of Koufax signing the cap so there is no doubt about the autograph. You then travel to Cooperstown to research this treasure and find a very clear image of Koufax walking off the mound just after the final out. The image of the cap is clear enough to enable you to see eight (8) stitch lines on the visor. Short version…Unless Sandy changed caps during the game the cap you bought is not his perfect game cap as the lid he was wearing was manufactured by someone else.

As you either begin to collect something or look to increase your knowledge on things you already collect, don’t overlook the value of knowing what the various characteristics might be with respect to a given manufacturer for the product in question. If you are already doing this, then I tip my cap to you.

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.

I have only written a few articles dealing with caps, but they seem to be a big hit with collectors. When researching and writing about jerseys, I often mention the value of knowing what to look for with respect to manufactures’ characteristics. The one I most often reference is the button style on Macgregor-Goldsmith or MacGregor jerseys. When you see a manufacturer’s characteristic in an image, you can discern who may have manufactured the product the player is wearing or using. Bat and glove collectors have an easier time with this since labels on gloves or centerbrands on bats make this possible. But what about caps?

As I have said before, caps are just plain tough. With that being sad, today I would like to offer something that might be helpful when trying to determine what brand of cap a player might be wearing. The problem with what I am about to take you through is it will require a fairly detailed and clear image of the visor of the cap. Even with this, you may only be able to determine if the player is wearing a McAuliffe/ KM Pro Cap or not.

While I won’t rehash the articles I have previously written on Tim McAuliffe, we do know that according to records at the U.S. Patent Office, the Pro KM Cap logo was first commercially used on July 13th, 1953. Filing date for the registered trademark took place on February 4th 1954 and became registered on November 2nd 1954. The applicant was a Mr. Jacob I. Kaufman, filed under DBA (Doing Business As) The Leslie Company & Leslie Individual, 76 Essex Street, Boston MA. What you should also know from those previous articles is that Tim McAuliffe was never a sporting goods manufacturer…McAuliffe was a salesman who purchased finished jerseys and caps for subsequent sale. If you’re thinking Kaufman and McAuliffe along the lines of the K and M in KM Pro then go the head of the class.

What these pictures, supported by an advertisement in the 26 June, 1976 edition of the Sporting News, indicate is that we should expect to see seven (7) stitch lines in the visor of a McAuliffe/ KM Pro cap. Conversely, for other manufacturers we should expect to see something else. Why is worth knowing? Look back at the main image of Sandy Koufax. Say you are offered a cap that was said to have been worn by Koufax on 9 September 1965 and it comes with a great story (they always do, don’t they) and the cap was manufactured by McAuliffe/KM Pro. The cap has a vintage “32” written on the underside of the visor and is autographed “My perfect game cap…Sandy Koufax 9-9-1965.” The seller even has a picture of Koufax signing the cap so there is no doubt about the autograph. You then travel to Cooperstown to research this treasure and find a very clear image of Koufax walking off the mound just after the final out. The image of the cap is clear enough to enable you to see eight (8) stitch lines on the visor. Short version…Unless Sandy changed caps during the game the cap you bought is not his perfect game cap as the lid he was wearing was manufactured by someone else.

As you either begin to collect something or look to increase your knowledge on things you already collect, don’t overlook the value of knowing what the various characteristics might be with respect to a given manufacturer for the product in question. If you are already doing this, then I tip my cap to you.

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.

It seems I spend most of time researching and writing about things that are in other people’s collections. While this article is shorter than what I normally provide, it is no less important or enjoyable to me. A few years back, I began to sell off my Reds stuff in order to obtain flannels from other clubs. I did this to support my look at flannels in general, but I also had a bit of a collecting goal in mind. I wanted to obtain at least one home and one road flannel for every club that wore flannels in they city they played in. As a point of illustration, this means I would be looking for flannels of the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves, and Atlanta Braves.

In looking for jerseys, by and large I have picked up coaches and common players since they are priced better than stars. A couple of years ago, I picked up a great Boston Braves road managers jerseys from Kim Stigall at Ball Park Heroes. The condition was incredible and it was priced right. Turns out the shirt was from 1950 and the manager was Billy Southworth…The shirt is now on loan and on display at Cooperstown as part of Southworth’s new Hall of Famer exhibit. Recently, Kim was the source of my Boston Braves home, a 1952 Bob Keely coaches jersey…once again great price and the shirt is wonderful condition.

I thought it was neat to have a jersey from the Braves last year in Boston, but after doing some thinking, is it also from the Braves first year in Milwaukee? The Braves went into spring training of 1953 still a Boston Club. The 1952 Brave’s jerseys (manufactured by Horace Partridge) jerseys did not feature a number on the front. The 1953 Brave’s jerseys (also manufactured by Horace Partridge) did feature a number on the front.

Images from spring training 1953 show Braves players wearing Boston Braves caps and uniforms with no numbers. Teams wearing previous seasons uniforms in spring training is not uncommon and any number of clubs from 1952 (Pirates, Giants, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox) can be found wearing their 1951 jerseys identified by the NL 75th Anniversary Patch or the AL 50th Anniversary Patch. In doing some reading on the Braves at this time, it seems that when the team was gathered together to get a picture of the new Braves for the Milwaukee Sentinel, that “there weren’t enough caps with an “M” on them and that several players wore caps with the more familiar “B” on them.

Although die hard Milwaukee Braves fans like Dave Klug may not agree with me, it would appear that the last uniforms worn by the Boston Braves and the first uniforms worn by the Milwaukee Braves may very likely have been one in the same.

Boston Braves Jersey? Milwaukee Braves Jersey? Maybe both? My point is you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a jersey in your collection to have a neat story to go along with it…just spend the time learning about what you have beyond the LOA or LOO.

As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect. I know I do.

Dave Grob

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

It seems I spend most of time researching and writing about things that are in other people’s collections. While this article is shorter than what I normally provide, it is no less important or enjoyable to me. A few years back, I began to sell off my Reds stuff in order to obtain flannels from other clubs. I did this to support my look at flannels in general, but I also had a bit of a collecting goal in mind. I wanted to obtain at least one home and one road flannel for every club that wore flannels in they city they played in. As a point of illustration, this means I would be looking for flannels of the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves, and Atlanta Braves.

In looking for jerseys, by and large I have picked up coaches and common players since they are priced better than stars. A couple of years ago, I picked up a great Boston Braves road managers jerseys from Kim Stigall at Ball Park Heroes. The condition was incredible and it was priced right. Turns out the shirt was from 1950 and the manager was Billy Southworth…The shirt is now on loan and on display at Cooperstown as part of Southworth’s new Hall of Famer exhibit. Recently, Kim was the source of my Boston Braves home, a 1952 Bob Keely coaches jersey…once again great price and the shirt is wonderful condition.

I thought it was neat to have a jersey from the Braves last year in Boston, but after doing some thinking, is it also from the Braves first year in Milwaukee? The Braves went into spring training of 1953 still a Boston Club. The 1952 Brave’s jerseys (manufactured by Horace Partridge) jerseys did not feature a number on the front. The 1953 Brave’s jerseys (also manufactured by Horace Partridge) did feature a number on the front.

Images from spring training 1953 show Braves players wearing Boston Braves caps and uniforms with no numbers. Teams wearing previous seasons uniforms in spring training is not uncommon and any number of clubs from 1952 (Pirates, Giants, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox) can be found wearing their 1951 jerseys identified by the NL 75th Anniversary Patch or the AL 50th Anniversary Patch. In doing some reading on the Braves at this time, it seems that when the team was gathered together to get a picture of the new Braves for the Milwaukee Sentinel, that “there weren’t enough caps with an “M” on them and that several players wore caps with the more familiar “B” on them.

Although die hard Milwaukee Braves fans like Dave Klug may not agree with me, it would appear that the last uniforms worn by the Boston Braves and the first uniforms worn by the Milwaukee Braves may very likely have been one in the same.

Boston Braves Jersey? Milwaukee Braves Jersey? Maybe both? My point is you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a jersey in your collection to have a neat story to go along with it…just spend the time learning about what you have beyond the LOA or LOO.

As always, collect what you enjoy and enjoy what you collect. I know I do.

Dave Grob

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

As part of my support to the Bushing and Kinunen MEARS For Sale site, I’m sometimes asked to review items offered to Dave & Troy. It is not so much that they can’t make an informed purchase decision on their own, but if they are going to decline on a purchase for a reason other than they just don’t wish to purchase an item (price, condition, market etc…), they think it is very helpful to let the seller know the specific reasons why from and educational standpoint.

In this case, Dave and Troy were offered what was thought to be a 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers road uniform. At first glance it had a number of positive qualities. The overall appearance seemed correct on a macro scale when compared to the style as seen in every uniform collector’s best friend, Mark Okkonen’s “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century. The manufacturer of the uniform was Spalding and the manufacturers tag was appropriate for the time period in question. The “B” for Brooklyn style on the left arm seemed appropriate as well.

In looking at period images, I did find an image for a Frank Allen. Allen was with the Dodgers 1912-1914. The uniform style he is wearing in the picture is not likely to be from 1913 as it features no solid color fabric button area color as seen in 1913 home and road jerseys. It is not from 1914 since there is no “B” on the chest. The collar style of the offered uniform is a sun collar and the one that Allen is wearing is a “cadet style” collar.

If you look at the jersey that was offered, the pinstripes are narrow and are spaced apart about the width of a button. In the jersey Allen is wearing, the pinstripe is much wider and spaced almost twice the width of a button. Also, the buttons on the offered are dark. The buttons on the Allen jersey are white or at least a lighter color than the jersey.

With older images and uniforms, it is at times difficult to tell the difference between a dirty white uniform or a clean gray one. Here is where you have to get the most out of all the image offers, imagery analysis.

I am certain the uniform that Allen is wearing this is a road jersey and not a home jersey. In 1912, The Dodgers were still playing in what was called “Washington Ball Park” as Ebbets Field did not open until 1913. The backdrop is not Ebbets field and it is not “Washington Park.” Once again, my thanks go out to Mark Okkonen. Mr. Okkonen also authored a fantastic book titled “Baseball Memories 1900-1909.” As part of this effort, he included fantastic graphics for the ball yards of the days. These include what look like scale diagrams of the surrounding buildings and areas. The detail in these is amazing.

For Washington Park, the large building you can see in the image I provided that can also be seen in Okkonen’s diagram and is identified as “Guinea Flats.” (page 37). If you look at his rendering of the Polo Grounds from this time frame (page 58), you will see the same two flag poles in the stands as well as building by shape and location are the same.

There a few “take-aways” from this article. The first is some information that you might find helpful in looking at early 20th century uniforms. Next is to highlight what imagery analysis is as it is not “photo matching.” Lastly to highlight that if you offer an item to Dave and Troy, while you may not make a sale, you could learn a little more about the item you have.

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

Dave Grob

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

As part of my support to the Bushing and Kinunen MEARS For Sale site, I’m sometimes asked to review items offered to Dave & Troy. It is not so much that they can’t make an informed purchase decision on their own, but if they are going to decline on a purchase for a reason other than they just don’t wish to purchase an item (price, condition, market etc…), they think it is very helpful to let the seller know the specific reasons why from and educational standpoint.

In this case, Dave and Troy were offered what was thought to be a 1912 Brooklyn Dodgers road uniform. At first glance it had a number of positive qualities. The overall appearance seemed correct on a macro scale when compared to the style as seen in every uniform collector’s best friend, Mark Okkonen’s “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century. The manufacturer of the uniform was Spalding and the manufacturers tag was appropriate for the time period in question. The “B” for Brooklyn style on the left arm seemed appropriate as well.

In looking at period images, I did find an image for a Frank Allen. Allen was with the Dodgers 1912-1914. The uniform style he is wearing in the picture is not likely to be from 1913 as it features no solid color fabric button area color as seen in 1913 home and road jerseys. It is not from 1914 since there is no “B” on the chest. The collar style of the offered uniform is a sun collar and the one that Allen is wearing is a “cadet style” collar.

If you look at the jersey that was offered, the pinstripes are narrow and are spaced apart about the width of a button. In the jersey Allen is wearing, the pinstripe is much wider and spaced almost twice the width of a button. Also, the buttons on the offered are dark. The buttons on the Allen jersey are white or at least a lighter color than the jersey.

With older images and uniforms, it is at times difficult to tell the difference between a dirty white uniform or a clean gray one. Here is where you have to get the most out of all the image offers, imagery analysis.

I am certain the uniform that Allen is wearing this is a road jersey and not a home jersey. In 1912, The Dodgers were still playing in what was called “Washington Ball Park” as Ebbets Field did not open until 1913. The backdrop is not Ebbets field and it is not “Washington Park.” Once again, my thanks go out to Mark Okkonen. Mr. Okkonen also authored a fantastic book titled “Baseball Memories 1900-1909.” As part of this effort, he included fantastic graphics for the ball yards of the days. These include what look like scale diagrams of the surrounding buildings and areas. The detail in these is amazing.

For Washington Park, the large building you can see in the image I provided that can also be seen in Okkonen’s diagram and is identified as “Guinea Flats.” (page 37). If you look at his rendering of the Polo Grounds from this time frame (page 58), you will see the same two flag poles in the stands as well as building by shape and location are the same.

There a few “take-aways” from this article. The first is some information that you might find helpful in looking at early 20th century uniforms. Next is to highlight what imagery analysis is as it is not “photo matching.” Lastly to highlight that if you offer an item to Dave and Troy, while you may not make a sale, you could learn a little more about the item you have.

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

Dave Grob

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

In many of the jerseys that I have examined and categorized as Unable to Authenticate (UTA), I often site issues with the tagging. This is usually based on signs that a tag has been reapplied. One of things you will want to look for in this regard is the presence of open seam holes.

What you will see in these examples of Rawlings tags is there is some slight size variation with how much material extends out past the information contained on the tag. There is also no same exact measurement in width and height…these examples are within about ¼” in variance. In looking at tags, I make a subjective assessment as to if the tag appears to have been trimmed. I say subjective, because unless the tag is cut or cropped extremely close to the lettering, then it is subjective based on what I have seen in other examples by year, team, and manufacturer.

Often this trimming this done to mask the open seam holes that exist when a tag has been removed and reapplied to another jersey. There are a number of reasons that a tag has been re-applied to a jersey:

1. It has been placed on an altered product by the same manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

2. It has been placed on an altered product by a different manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

3. It has been placed on a replica product and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

While signs of a tampered tagging are usually sufficient to categorize a jersey as UTA, I always assume the person sending the jersey in may not have known what to look for so my opinions don’t stop there. If the tagging is bad, there are usually other things you can identify as well and I want collectors to know in the future what to look for. Consider our three situations above.

1. It has been placed on an altered product by the same manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. What you will most often find here is that tagged size does not match the actual measured size of the jersey. This is why this step and these measurements are a standard part of the MEARS process and recorded on the worksheet. Some jersey forgers are better than others with respect to masking the swapping of tags. Remember if the jersey was the proper size, era, and manufacturer to begin with then the tag swap would not be required.

2. It has been placed on an altered product by a different manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. I have written on any number of occasions about the value of knowing and looking for manufacturers’ or team characteristics by years or eras. The perfect swap job of a Rawlings tag on a jersey with MacGregor style buttons is but one example I have seen. Other manufacturers’ or team characteristics can include font and numeral style and size as well as supplemental tagging and player identification. Another manufacturers’ characteristic has to do with how and where the tags are applied.

3. It has been placed on a replica product and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. These are usually the easiest to spot because of material and construction issues. The other thing I often find is the use and wear is contrived. In the other two cases, the jersey often started out as a period or vintage piece.

Although the examples I have shown and talked about are baseball jerseys, the concept is applicable to other sports and other uniforms as well. What does all this mean to you the collector? I would offer that holes in tagging can lead to holes in a seller’s story and can avoid a hole in your wallet…just something to think about.

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

Dave Grob

In many of the jerseys that I have examined and categorized as Unable to Authenticate (UTA), I often site issues with the tagging. This is usually based on signs that a tag has been reapplied. One of things you will want to look for in this regard is the presence of open seam holes.

What you will see in these examples of Rawlings tags is there is some slight size variation with how much material extends out past the information contained on the tag. There is also no same exact measurement in width and height…these examples are within about ¼” in variance. In looking at tags, I make a subjective assessment as to if the tag appears to have been trimmed. I say subjective, because unless the tag is cut or cropped extremely close to the lettering, then it is subjective based on what I have seen in other examples by year, team, and manufacturer.

Often this trimming this done to mask the open seam holes that exist when a tag has been removed and reapplied to another jersey. There are a number of reasons that a tag has been re-applied to a jersey:

1. It has been placed on an altered product by the same manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

2. It has been placed on an altered product by a different manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

3. It has been placed on a replica product and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by.

While signs of a tampered tagging are usually sufficient to categorize a jersey as UTA, I always assume the person sending the jersey in may not have known what to look for so my opinions don’t stop there. If the tagging is bad, there are usually other things you can identify as well and I want collectors to know in the future what to look for. Consider our three situations above.

1. It has been placed on an altered product by the same manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. What you will most often find here is that tagged size does not match the actual measured size of the jersey. This is why this step and these measurements are a standard part of the MEARS process and recorded on the worksheet. Some jersey forgers are better than others with respect to masking the swapping of tags. Remember if the jersey was the proper size, era, and manufacturer to begin with then the tag swap would not be required.

2. It has been placed on an altered product by a different manufacturer and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. I have written on any number of occasions about the value of knowing and looking for manufacturers’ or team characteristics by years or eras. The perfect swap job of a Rawlings tag on a jersey with MacGregor style buttons is but one example I have seen. Other manufacturers’ or team characteristics can include font and numeral style and size as well as supplemental tagging and player identification. Another manufacturers’ characteristic has to do with how and where the tags are applied.

3. It has been placed on a replica product and the tagging has been re-applied to give the appearance that it is the size and manufacturer commonly associated with the player the jersey is to have been worn by. These are usually the easiest to spot because of material and construction issues. The other thing I often find is the use and wear is contrived. In the other two cases, the jersey often started out as a period or vintage piece.

Although the examples I have shown and talked about are baseball jerseys, the concept is applicable to other sports and other uniforms as well. What does all this mean to you the collector? I would offer that holes in tagging can lead to holes in a seller’s story and can avoid a hole in your wallet…just something to think about.

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

Dave Grob

With so many of the seasons starting NFL quarterbacks already injured and replaced so far, I thought I would spend some time looking at the some the great arms in the NFL. The purpose is to keep you from getting injured in the wallet as you build your football jersey collection. There are any number of valuable things to be seen and understood in looking at great NFL arms. I have provided 12 images that cover some of things I look for and look at.

IMAGE 1.TOM BRADY: Often collectors will debate sleeve length with comments like “it looks too short” or “looks too long” with out any real qualifiers. Consider looking for things such as the placement of logo’s or crests with respect to their distance from something like the hem at the end of the sleeve. If the logo or crest has remained a uniform size and is consistent with respect to placement, then this can be a subtle indicator with respect to over all sleeve length. It can also serve to help identify specific jerseys within a specific year.

IMAGE 2. JOHN ELWAY: Teams will often change the style of a jersey by changing the manner of a sleeve. In some cases, this can also be the sign of a different manufacturer. Take the time to study the color combinations, order, and width.

IMAGE 3. DAN MARINO and BOB GRIESE: Mark Hayne told me some time back that I would find looking at Dolphin’s jerseys interesting…once again, Mark was right. These photos highlight why at times bandings seem a bit different. In the case of the Marino, jersey, the sleeves were cut in this area. For Griese, you will see both cut sleeves and styles when there is no banding color. For the Dolphins, especially in the early to mid 1970s, you will multiple styles in the same game.

IMAGE 4. CARSON PLAMER: Look for areas of customization such as elastic bands or the absence of them. Realize these may be found in variations for a player within the same season.

IMAGE 5. JOHNNY UNITAS: Often times a change in the sleeve or arm design will coincide with other changes such as font styles. When you notice one, make an effort to look for other things that may have changed as well.

IMAGE 6. ROGER STAUBACH: Like buying a home, focus on location. In some cases a team will change the location of something like a crest or in this case, the “TV” numbers. This can help date jerseys that may be without year identification.

IMAGE 7. CHAD PENNINGTON: One of the good think about quarterback images is that the arm is usually featured in a throwing motion. Look for details in the underarm area dealing with construction or pattern changes.

IMAGE 8. JOE NAMATH. Besides, hair styles, other things change over time such as font styles, fabrics, and manner of appliqué. Star players who spend a significant amount of time with the same club offer solid templates to track these changes.

IMAGE 9. JOE MONTANA: Looks for things like variations in sleeve length to key in on as they me be tied to other changes such as font and banding styles as well.

IMAGE 10. BART STARR: Take the time to study images in detail. From a quick look, these sleeves appear to be the same length. In looking at the image from 1967, you will notice the rolls or changes in the thickness of the fabric. This is not a seam from a reinforced elbow area as that stitching does not go around the entire are of the jersey.

IMAGE 11. PAYTON MANNING: Teams change manufacturers over the years and in more modern time, manufacturer/brand name recognition has been a mainstay in the NFL. The other thing to note, is that even the same manufacturer will often change the style or location of their logo on the outside of a jersey.

IMAGE 12. JACK KEMP and RON MIX. One of my favorite images as it shows that variations do occur.

These 12 images are just representative of some of the things to consider and they are by no means exclusive to quarterbacks. The point is, if you collect a player or a team, take the time to conduct a focused look at all of the various areas of the jersey. Other specific areas to look at with respect to changes would include:

The neck area: V-neck or crew neck.

The shoulder area: Look at seams for construction patterns.

The body side: Look for seam construction or presence of side panels.

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

Dave Grob

With so many of the seasons starting NFL quarterbacks already injured and replaced so far, I thought I would spend some time looking at the some the great arms in the NFL. The purpose is to keep you from getting injured in the wallet as you build your football jersey collection. There are any number of valuable things to be seen and understood in looking at great NFL arms. I have provided 12 images that cover some of things I look for and look at.

IMAGE 1.TOM BRADY: Often collectors will debate sleeve length with comments like “it looks too short” or “looks too long” with out any real qualifiers. Consider looking for things such as the placement of logo’s or crests with respect to their distance from something like the hem at the end of the sleeve. If the logo or crest has remained a uniform size and is consistent with respect to placement, then this can be a subtle indicator with respect to over all sleeve length. It can also serve to help identify specific jerseys within a specific year.

IMAGE 2. JOHN ELWAY: Teams will often change the style of a jersey by changing the manner of a sleeve. In some cases, this can also be the sign of a different manufacturer. Take the time to study the color combinations, order, and width.

IMAGE 3. DAN MARINO and BOB GRIESE: Mark Hayne told me some time back that I would find looking at Dolphin’s jerseys interesting…once again, Mark was right. These photos highlight why at times bandings seem a bit different. In the case of the Marino, jersey, the sleeves were cut in this area. For Griese, you will see both cut sleeves and styles when there is no banding color. For the Dolphins, especially in the early to mid 1970s, you will multiple styles in the same game.

IMAGE 4. CARSON PLAMER: Look for areas of customization such as elastic bands or the absence of them. Realize these may be found in variations for a player within the same season.

IMAGE 5. JOHNNY UNITAS: Often times a change in the sleeve or arm design will coincide with other changes such as font styles. When you notice one, make an effort to look for other things that may have changed as well.

IMAGE 6. ROGER STAUBACH: Like buying a home, focus on location. In some cases a team will change the location of something like a crest or in this case, the “TV” numbers. This can help date jerseys that may be without year identification.

IMAGE 7. CHAD PENNINGTON: One of the good think about quarterback images is that the arm is usually featured in a throwing motion. Look for details in the underarm area dealing with construction or pattern changes.

IMAGE 8. JOE NAMATH. Besides, hair styles, other things change over time such as font styles, fabrics, and manner of appliqué. Star players who spend a significant amount of time with the same club offer solid templates to track these changes.

IMAGE 9. JOE MONTANA: Looks for things like variations in sleeve length to key in on as they me be tied to other changes such as font and banding styles as well.

IMAGE 10. BART STARR: Take the time to study images in detail. From a quick look, these sleeves appear to be the same length. In looking at the image from 1967, you will notice the rolls or changes in the thickness of the fabric. This is not a seam from a reinforced elbow area as that stitching does not go around the entire are of the jersey.

IMAGE 11. PAYTON MANNING: Teams change manufacturers over the years and in more modern time, manufacturer/brand name recognition has been a mainstay in the NFL. The other thing to note, is that even the same manufacturer will often change the style or location of their logo on the outside of a jersey.

IMAGE 12. JACK KEMP and RON MIX. One of my favorite images as it shows that variations do occur.

These 12 images are just representative of some of the things to consider and they are by no means exclusive to quarterbacks. The point is, if you collect a player or a team, take the time to conduct a focused look at all of the various areas of the jersey. Other specific areas to look at with respect to changes would include:

The neck area: V-neck or crew neck.

The shoulder area: Look at seams for construction patterns.

The body side: Look for seam construction or presence of side panels.

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

Dave Grob

For years, I have been buying sports magazines and have been doing so for any number of reasons. They make for wonderful image references and can also be incorporated into a display of a favorite player, team or collecting theme like I mentioned in the Home Run Derby Article. A while back I made a purchase of a nice grouping of League Championship Series Programs. The seller said that he did not know how to grade magazines, but they would probably all be considered Excellent or better. After getting them in the mail, two things occurred to me…first he was probably right about the overall condition…and secondly, just how would you go about grading a Sports Magazine.

When you look at a Sports Magazine, certain things jump out at you much in the same way that features on a card do since the focus is usually on the front and back. Other similarities include wear on the edges or the spin in the case of magazine. Using the “card model” would be fine but there is clearly more to a magazine than just those aspects. I think it’s a safe assumption that a sports magazine would be in its most desirable state if found in the same condition it was when it left the publisher. That being said, I decided to spend some time exploring those things that affect the appeal or collectability of a magazine within the context of what you might deduct points for. Those areas that I would consider minuses are (-):

– % for mailing label

– % for mailing label removed with damage or visible residue that effects presentation

– % medium spine wear

-%+ heavy spine wear or tear

– % for 11-20% of pages having bent corners

– %+ for greater than 20% of pages having bent corners

– % for stains

– % for light or minor creasing

-%+ for heavy creasing or folds.

– % for publications that have been folded and present a more pronounced crease

-% for loose pages

– %+ for missing pages

– % for writing on the inside of the publication (not including autographs)

– % for writing on the outside of the publication (not including autographs)

* Note for autographs, points are not added for them either.

Since some of the above criteria deal in varying degrees such as spine wear, tears, and page condition, this would have to be accounted for in like type variances for just how many points would be lost. In establishing this range for points taken away, you would really have to look at a number of examples and work the numbers out to where a product like mentioned earlier that was in “Excellent” condition would come out someplace in the 70-79 point range. Working off a 100 point range would be a bit of a departure from the current MEARS 1-10 scale, but I think it would be essential given all the factors and varying degrees of conditions for each of those areas.

The other thing that I began to think about was what might be the discriminators with respect to giving plus points to a publication. As much as I hated to acknowledge it, it would have to be the presence of inserts. I know that whenever I get a new magazine in the mail or from the newsstand, the first thing I do is rip the inserts out (no more of that). Since I don’t know what magazines had inserts, you would not loose points for the absence of these, but there would have to be a way to reward true completeness.

The next issue that would have to be addressed is the manner of encapsulation and there are probably a couple of schools of thoughts here. One would be to have the magazine placed in a “top-loader” that would permit the magazine to be removed and used as a reference. This sort of goes against what most “collectors” would be looking for, so this leads to some form of permanent encapsulation or “slabbing”…sort of like cards on HGH or steroids. I guess I would not have a problem with this if I was looking at collecting them much in the same way folks collect cards.

In staying with the card analogy, the issue then becomes what do you collect since cards comes in series or years and magazines really don’t beyond that of the publication itself. This got me thinking about themes that some folks follow already such as:

Team Yearbooks

Team Scorecards

World Series and other Championship Programs

Most magazines that I see offered for sale as collectables outside of the above grouping usually feature or have the value associated with the player on the cover. The issue then becomes how does a “team or player collector” develop a checklist to guide their efforts?
One reference I have always found useful that lays this out rather nicely is the Standard Catalog of Sports Memorabilia (3rd Edition), a SCD Publication. Pages 261-440, spanning Chapters 4-6 provide listings for players on the covers as well as some general pricing information which I suspect is a bit dated. The point here is that this guide can serve as a point of departure for those looking to build a team or player checklist to focus collecting on.

In the end, I have always encouraged people to collect what they like and for them to like what they collect. I have always liked magazines as a researcher but have never given much thought to collecting them as opposed to using them. I may have to reexamine this position, especially if there were standards to help evaluate purchases for items that I don’t get a chance to see first hand… As always, just some thoughts…

Dave Grob

For years, I have been buying sports magazines and have been doing so for any number of reasons. They make for wonderful image references and can also be incorporated into a display of a favorite player, team or collecting theme like I mentioned in the Home Run Derby Article. A while back I made a purchase of a nice grouping of League Championship Series Programs. The seller said that he did not know how to grade magazines, but they would probably all be considered Excellent or better. After getting them in the mail, two things occurred to me…first he was probably right about the overall condition…and secondly, just how would you go about grading a Sports Magazine.

When you look at a Sports Magazine, certain things jump out at you much in the same way that features on a card do since the focus is usually on the front and back. Other similarities include wear on the edges or the spin in the case of magazine. Using the “card model” would be fine but there is clearly more to a magazine than just those aspects. I think it’s a safe assumption that a sports magazine would be in its most desirable state if found in the same condition it was when it left the publisher. That being said, I decided to spend some time exploring those things that affect the appeal or collectability of a magazine within the context of what you might deduct points for. Those areas that I would consider minuses are (-):

– % for mailing label

– % for mailing label removed with damage or visible residue that effects presentation

– % medium spine wear

-%+ heavy spine wear or tear

– % for 11-20% of pages having bent corners

– %+ for greater than 20% of pages having bent corners

– % for stains

– % for light or minor creasing

-%+ for heavy creasing or folds.

– % for publications that have been folded and present a more pronounced crease

-% for loose pages

– %+ for missing pages

– % for writing on the inside of the publication (not including autographs)

– % for writing on the outside of the publication (not including autographs)

* Note for autographs, points are not added for them either.

Since some of the above criteria deal in varying degrees such as spine wear, tears, and page condition, this would have to be accounted for in like type variances for just how many points would be lost. In establishing this range for points taken away, you would really have to look at a number of examples and work the numbers out to where a product like mentioned earlier that was in “Excellent” condition would come out someplace in the 70-79 point range. Working off a 100 point range would be a bit of a departure from the current MEARS 1-10 scale, but I think it would be essential given all the factors and varying degrees of conditions for each of those areas.

The other thing that I began to think about was what might be the discriminators with respect to giving plus points to a publication. As much as I hated to acknowledge it, it would have to be the presence of inserts. I know that whenever I get a new magazine in the mail or from the newsstand, the first thing I do is rip the inserts out (no more of that). Since I don’t know what magazines had inserts, you would not loose points for the absence of these, but there would have to be a way to reward true completeness.

The next issue that would have to be addressed is the manner of encapsulation and there are probably a couple of schools of thoughts here. One would be to have the magazine placed in a “top-loader” that would permit the magazine to be removed and used as a reference. This sort of goes against what most “collectors” would be looking for, so this leads to some form of permanent encapsulation or “slabbing”…sort of like cards on HGH or steroids. I guess I would not have a problem with this if I was looking at collecting them much in the same way folks collect cards.

In staying with the card analogy, the issue then becomes what do you collect since cards comes in series or years and magazines really don’t beyond that of the publication itself. This got me thinking about themes that some folks follow already such as:

Team Yearbooks

Team Scorecards

World Series and other Championship Programs

Most magazines that I see offered for sale as collectables outside of the above grouping usually feature or have the value associated with the player on the cover. The issue then becomes how does a “team or player collector” develop a checklist to guide their efforts?
One reference I have always found useful that lays this out rather nicely is the Standard Catalog of Sports Memorabilia (3rd Edition), a SCD Publication. Pages 261-440, spanning Chapters 4-6 provide listings for players on the covers as well as some general pricing information which I suspect is a bit dated. The point here is that this guide can serve as a point of departure for those looking to build a team or player checklist to focus collecting on.

In the end, I have always encouraged people to collect what they like and for them to like what they collect. I have always liked magazines as a researcher but have never given much thought to collecting them as opposed to using them. I may have to reexamine this position, especially if there were standards to help evaluate purchases for items that I don’t get a chance to see first hand… As always, just some thoughts…

Dave Grob