Some intriguing oddities surfaced on eBay this past week…let’s begin by taking a peek at three of ’em.
UNWORN GAME ISSUED STYLE:
The Cubs recently completed their Fan Convention, and a few curious jerseys were offered for sale, though only as game-issued. It has been written on MEARS Online that former team president John McDonough (he of the “I don’t have time now” statement every time I’ve tried to ask about park policies) decreed that the Cubs would not wear blue alternate game jerseys in 2007 (his sole year as president, as he’s now in the front office of the NHL Blackhawks). That didn’t stop the team from ORDERING them, though, and a couple dozen or so were sold at the Cubs show.
A LOOONG TIME TO KEEP A JERSEY AROUND:
The NFL often uses jerseys from a previous season in a given year for a variety of reasons, but a DECADE old? That was the case with longtime collector and gentleman Jim Papaycik. He had a durene road Browns jersey used by RB Boyce Green during his three years with the Browns (1983-85). The jersey had a NOB change, and a look at the Sand-Knit tagging indicates early 1970’s issuance. Despite the long period of time between initial and subsequent jersey, it’s still a great piece, as durene jerseys were only worn by a handful of teams in the 1980s, the Browns being one of them.
FOOTBALL TAG ON MLB BP JERSEY:
A second example of a Russell NFL tag being affixed to a MLB jersey surfaced, in the form of a 1992-95 Yankees BP shirt of Don Mattingly. This jersey has Steiner provenance, as did the first one reported, a Yankee’s road gamer from around 1994 of pitching coach Billy Connors.
TRIBUTE TO SEAN:
Sean Taylor of the Redskins was posthumously selected to the NFL Pro Bowl team a week or so after he was murdered in his Florida home, a situation not seen since NHL goalie Pelle Lindbergh was voted in after he died in a car accident. Two of his teammate who will play in the Pro Bowl, TE Chris Cooley and OT Chris Samuels, will wear #21 (Taylor’s number) on their Pro Bowl jerseys, instead of their respective #’s 47 and 60. Their jerseys will be auctioned after the game, with proceeds going to the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund, which has been established for daughter Jackie’s college education.
RANGERS RETIRE 5TH NUMBER, #6 ANNOUNCED:
Earlier this week, the New York Rangers held a ceremony to retire sweater #2 worn by Brian Leetch. When Leetch spoke to the crowd, he bore more good news, that being the Rangers plans to retire the #9 jersey of good friend and teammate Adam Graves next season, something Graves didn’t even know about.
TWO BITS OF TRIVIA:
Q: What was unique bout White Sox slugger Carlos May’s 1969-70 and 1976 jerseys?
A: As it happens, he wore his birth date on the back, in the form of his NOB (MAY) and his number (17).
Q: What was unique about Brandon Roy’s 2006-07 Trailblazers gamers?
A: He was the first player in any of the three major sports (MLB, NFL, NBA) to wear a jersey on which the NOB is identical to an acronym for a postseason award he was eligible for (ROY=Rookie of the Year).
Enjoy the hobby…it’s way better than getting dragged out by the wife to shop for her shoes.