WINTER CLASSIC WEARABLES AVAILABLE
Hockey fans, your ship has arrived! Game-worn sweaters from the Winter Classic are up for bids on www.nhl.com . The jerseys auctioned on the league website are the ones worn during the second period of the game (different sets were worn each period, as well as for pre-game practices, according to Barry Meisel of MeiGray Co.)
NHL.com has both Detroit and Chicago gamers available with bids closing on January 22nd. The Red Wings sweaters will begin closing at (PM EST and have staggered closing times after that. Chicago jerseys will also have staggered closing times, beginning at 9:50 PM EST.
If you prefer fixed price sales, the Red Wings will be selling the 1st Period sweaters (this set was turned over to each team) through their team store at Joe Louis Arena. A link exists to connect to sale information on www.redwings.com . No word on the Blackhawks set from this point of the game, although I suspect they will make it out this year…the only question is will it be at the summertime Blackhawks Fan Convention or at the Hawkquarters team store on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chi-Town.
The third period jerseys were given to the players. All game and practice/pre-game jerseys have been certified in the MeiGray database.
CAVS ADD FIFTH 2008-09 STYLE
Already having sported four different uniform styles this season (home white, road red, alternate blue, and early 1970s yellow Hardwood Classic), the Cavs, this past Wednesday, added a blue version of the retro unies to the mix. MEARS has secured images of this new style for the organizational database.
WHO’S MARTINEZ?
A collector who knows my affinity for the Cubs had a question about an eBay jersey being sold. He wondered who #80 (Martinez) was in the early 2000s. The rosters he viewed made no mention of him.
The answer can be found in the considerable influence of Sammy Sosa during the Don Baylor and, especially, the Dusty Baker years with the Cubs. During Sosa’s time under those two field managers, he pretty much said and did what he wanted without challenge from his bosses, inside or outside the dugout. One of the things he wanted was to take care of one of his “peeps”, one Julian Martinez. Having met while both were in AA ball, Martinez became a right-hand man to the egotistical Sosa, and, at Sosa’s urging, was given a spot, including a uniform, for his time as a member of the team’s on-field personnel. Martinez did perform a small number of actual on-field duties, such as hitting fungoes and the like, but his purpose there basically amounted to another special perk to keep Sam-Me happy.
2009 MLB PATCHES
So far, two items to report here:
1) A Final Season Metrodome patch for the Minnesota Twins. The oft-maligned indoor venue will be replaced by a new ballpark in 2010.
2) A 40th Anniversary patch for the Kansas City Royals, who played their first game back in 1969.
OBITUARIES
Carl Pohlad, wealthy Minnesota resident businessman who owned the Minnesota Twins since buying them from Cal Griffith, died on January 5 at age 93. Pohlad’s ownership tenure included two World Championships (1987 and 1991).
“Prince” Joe Henry, a crowd-pleasing former Negro Leaguer of the 1950s, died this past Friday at age 78.
Also leaving us on Friday was MLB ex-pitcher Dave Roberts. Roberts played for 8 teams in 13 Big League seasons, highlights of which were a place on the 1979 World Champion Pirates, and a finish in the top 3 in ERA in the National League in 1971 while with the Padres. He passed away from lung cancer caused by early-life exposure to asbestos at age 64.
Finally, Olympian Roy Saari, a swimmer for the USA who nabbed a gold and a silver medal for America in the 1964 Tokyo Games, died at age 63 of unannounced causes.
TIM TEBOW…GREAT QB; GREAT PERSON. CONGRATULATIONS, TIM