This extraordinary jersey dates from Kaline’s only championship season and was worn during the regular season as well as in the World Series. Al Kaline entered the 1968 season with little left to accomplish. The
veteran outfielder’s Hall of Fame resume already included thirteen consecutive All-Star Game appearances, five Gold Glove Awards and one League batting title. The only thing missing was a World Series ring.
That too was close at hand. Thanks in large part to Denny McLain’s miraculous thirty-win season, the Tigers captured not only their first American League pennant in twenty-three years that summer but the World
Series as well, defeating the Cardinals in a dramatic seven game series.

This phenomenal Detroit Tigers road flannel jersey, dating from the Tigers World Championship season of 1968, is the very jersey worn by Kaline during the seventh and decisive game of the World Series, as well as being one of the two road jerseys worn by Kaline throughout the entire season. The gray road jersey is lettered “Detroit” across the front and features Kaline’s number “6” on the reverse and right sleeve. Both the letters and numbers are appliquéd in navy blue twill. A “Rawlings 44” label appears in the collar. Located on the left front tail are a wash tag and an adjacent flag tag that reads “Set 1 1968.” The jersey is original and unaltered, displaying excellent wear throughout including a number of light scattered stains on the front.

The jersey’s World Series provenance is provided in the form of a letter from Jane Kilpatrick, the daughter of noted Detroit photographer James Kilpatrick, in which she writes: “My father, James R. (Scotty) Kilpatrick worked as a photographer for the Detroit News for almost 40 years. In 1968 he covered the World Series that the Tigers eventually won. After the last game my father returned home and gave me the jersey Al Kaline wore in the final game. For almost 25 years I have considered it a prized possession.” James Kilpatrick was a longtime photographer with the paper and is most famous for his “Battle of the Overpass” photo, which captured labor strife during the 1937 autoworkers strike.

This is a simply outstanding world-class Al Kaline flannel jersey, perhaps the very best and arguably most significant of his career, dating from his only World Championship season. Al Kaline was the hitting star for the Tigers during the 1968 World Series, batting .378 with two home runs and eight RBI. He would eventually finish his career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs, 1,583 RBI and a .297 lifetime average. Kaline was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility. Graded A10 by Mears. LOA from Dave Bushing & Troy Kinunen/MEARS.

Keeping watching for more highlights to whet your appetite!

This extraordinary jersey dates from Kaline’s only championship season and was worn during the regular season as well as in the World Series. Al Kaline entered the 1968 season with little left to accomplish. The
veteran outfielder’s Hall of Fame resume already included thirteen consecutive All-Star Game appearances, five Gold Glove Awards and one League batting title. The only thing missing was a World Series ring.
That too was close at hand. Thanks in large part to Denny McLain’s miraculous thirty-win season, the Tigers captured not only their first American League pennant in twenty-three years that summer but the World
Series as well, defeating the Cardinals in a dramatic seven game series.

This phenomenal Detroit Tigers road flannel jersey, dating from the Tigers World Championship season of 1968, is the very jersey worn by Kaline during the seventh and decisive game of the World Series, as well as being one of the two road jerseys worn by Kaline throughout the entire season. The gray road jersey is lettered “Detroit” across the front and features Kaline’s number “6” on the reverse and right sleeve. Both the letters and numbers are appliquéd in navy blue twill. A “Rawlings 44” label appears in the collar. Located on the left front tail are a wash tag and an adjacent flag tag that reads “Set 1 1968.” The jersey is original and unaltered, displaying excellent wear throughout including a number of light scattered stains on the front.

The jersey’s World Series provenance is provided in the form of a letter from Jane Kilpatrick, the daughter of noted Detroit photographer James Kilpatrick, in which she writes: “My father, James R. (Scotty) Kilpatrick worked as a photographer for the Detroit News for almost 40 years. In 1968 he covered the World Series that the Tigers eventually won. After the last game my father returned home and gave me the jersey Al Kaline wore in the final game. For almost 25 years I have considered it a prized possession.” James Kilpatrick was a longtime photographer with the paper and is most famous for his “Battle of the Overpass” photo, which captured labor strife during the 1937 autoworkers strike.

This is a simply outstanding world-class Al Kaline flannel jersey, perhaps the very best and arguably most significant of his career, dating from his only World Championship season. Al Kaline was the hitting star for the Tigers during the 1968 World Series, batting .378 with two home runs and eight RBI. He would eventually finish his career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs, 1,583 RBI and a .297 lifetime average. Kaline was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility. Graded A10 by Mears. LOA from Dave Bushing & Troy Kinunen/MEARS.

Keeping watching for more highlights to whet your appetite!

Four previously unknown baseball cards issued in 1871 by J. A. Pierce & Company. Information about this important find follows:

Collection of four newly discovered CDV team cards issued in 1871 by Chicago baseball goods store J. A. Pierce & Company each feature composite photographs of major league teams from the then brand-new National Association. This set is extraordinarily significant in that it represents one of the earliest of all baseball card sets. All four cards have been encapsulated by PSA. Each card has the team and all players identified at the bottom of the mount and features advertising for J. A. Pierce & Company on reverse. The entire set probably included every team in the National Association, the very first professional baseball league. Prior to the recent discovery of these four cards we had only seen a single example from the set, the 1871 Chicago BBC, and had previously assumed this was a “one-card set” issued to promote the Chicago sporting goods company advertised on the reverse. In addition to these four cards, while researching the set we have also located four additional examples housed in the collection of the Chicago Historical Society. Those four cards include the 1871 Haymakers, Chicago, Boston, and Athletics. The offered collection of four advertising cards includes the following: 1) “Boston B.B.C., 1871” including A. G. Spalding, George Wright, Harry Wright, Cal McVey, Ross Barnes, etc. Featuring many of the players comprising the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, Boston was the dominant team of the early 1870s. They finished in third place in 1871, but went on to win the championship of the National Association in each of the following four seasons of the league’s existence. Technically in Good condition due to light creasing (creases more easily visible from reverse than front) but with far superior overall presentation. 2) “Olympic B.B.C., 1871” includes five players from the 1869 Red Stockings (Leonard, Allison, Brainard, Sweasy, and Waterman) as well as Davey Force. 3) “Athletic B.B.C., 1871” including A. J. Reach and Dickey McBride. (Vg-Ex). This is an extremely significant card. The Athletics were the champions of the National Association in 1871, and this card therefore represents the first Championship baseball team of the first-ever organized professional league. This card also features A.J. Reach’s first appearance as a professional ballplayer. Because 1871 is the first season of the National Association, the first-ever professional baseball league, all cards from this set might reasonably be defined as “rookie cards” of each player featured. 4) “Kekionga B.B.C., 1871” including R. Mathews (Good condition with half-inch tear in left border, no paper loss). The Ft. Wayne Kekiongas are not exactly a household name. Even we had to look them up. They played only a single season as a major league franchise in 1871, the National Association’s inaugural season, and finished in second to last place above Rockford with a 7-21 record. Pitcher Bobby Mathews went on to become a star with several other teams, enjoying a 15-year career with 297 lifetime victories. Mathews must have been recognized as the star of the Kekiongas as his name is larger and in all capital letters on the mount. Each card has one player identified in all capital letters and in each case this player is the most prominent player on the team. The street address for J. A. Pierce on the reverse of each card has been changed from “117 West Madison Street” to “129 West Madison Street” by crossing out the “117” by hand and adding the “129” to the left. This change is executed in the same hand on each card, and is how these cards were issued by J. A. Pierce & Co. This change was made to reflect the store’s move during 1871, which was possibly related to the Great Chicago Fire of that same year. These four cards, representing one of the most interesting and exciting finds dating from the dawn of both professional baseball and the dawn of “the baseball card,” will appear in Robert Edward Auctions’ spring sale.

Robert Edward Auctions is one of the collecting world’s leading collectibles auction companies, specializing in the the rarest and most historic baseball cards and memorabilia, as well as other sport, non-sport, and Americana collectibles.

For further information regarding consignments or to register for a complimentary auction catalog please contact:
Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ 07069 or call (908)-226-9900 or visit www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com.

Four previously unknown baseball cards issued in 1871 by J. A. Pierce & Company. Information about this important find follows:

Collection of four newly discovered CDV team cards issued in 1871 by Chicago baseball goods store J. A. Pierce & Company each feature composite photographs of major league teams from the then brand-new National Association. This set is extraordinarily significant in that it represents one of the earliest of all baseball card sets. All four cards have been encapsulated by PSA. Each card has the team and all players identified at the bottom of the mount and features advertising for J. A. Pierce & Company on reverse. The entire set probably included every team in the National Association, the very first professional baseball league. Prior to the recent discovery of these four cards we had only seen a single example from the set, the 1871 Chicago BBC, and had previously assumed this was a “one-card set” issued to promote the Chicago sporting goods company advertised on the reverse. In addition to these four cards, while researching the set we have also located four additional examples housed in the collection of the Chicago Historical Society. Those four cards include the 1871 Haymakers, Chicago, Boston, and Athletics. The offered collection of four advertising cards includes the following: 1) “Boston B.B.C., 1871” including A. G. Spalding, George Wright, Harry Wright, Cal McVey, Ross Barnes, etc. Featuring many of the players comprising the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, Boston was the dominant team of the early 1870s. They finished in third place in 1871, but went on to win the championship of the National Association in each of the following four seasons of the league’s existence. Technically in Good condition due to light creasing (creases more easily visible from reverse than front) but with far superior overall presentation. 2) “Olympic B.B.C., 1871” includes five players from the 1869 Red Stockings (Leonard, Allison, Brainard, Sweasy, and Waterman) as well as Davey Force. 3) “Athletic B.B.C., 1871” including A. J. Reach and Dickey McBride. (Vg-Ex). This is an extremely significant card. The Athletics were the champions of the National Association in 1871, and this card therefore represents the first Championship baseball team of the first-ever organized professional league. This card also features A.J. Reach’s first appearance as a professional ballplayer. Because 1871 is the first season of the National Association, the first-ever professional baseball league, all cards from this set might reasonably be defined as “rookie cards” of each player featured. 4) “Kekionga B.B.C., 1871” including R. Mathews (Good condition with half-inch tear in left border, no paper loss). The Ft. Wayne Kekiongas are not exactly a household name. Even we had to look them up. They played only a single season as a major league franchise in 1871, the National Association’s inaugural season, and finished in second to last place above Rockford with a 7-21 record. Pitcher Bobby Mathews went on to become a star with several other teams, enjoying a 15-year career with 297 lifetime victories. Mathews must have been recognized as the star of the Kekiongas as his name is larger and in all capital letters on the mount. Each card has one player identified in all capital letters and in each case this player is the most prominent player on the team. The street address for J. A. Pierce on the reverse of each card has been changed from “117 West Madison Street” to “129 West Madison Street” by crossing out the “117” by hand and adding the “129” to the left. This change is executed in the same hand on each card, and is how these cards were issued by J. A. Pierce & Co. This change was made to reflect the store’s move during 1871, which was possibly related to the Great Chicago Fire of that same year. These four cards, representing one of the most interesting and exciting finds dating from the dawn of both professional baseball and the dawn of “the baseball card,” will appear in Robert Edward Auctions’ spring sale.

Robert Edward Auctions is one of the collecting world’s leading collectibles auction companies, specializing in the the rarest and most historic baseball cards and memorabilia, as well as other sport, non-sport, and Americana collectibles.

For further information regarding consignments or to register for a complimentary auction catalog please contact:
Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ 07069 or call (908)-226-9900 or visit www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com.