1930's Lou Gehrig Game Worn New York Yankees Cap, MEARS Authentic....

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Sold on Jul 31, 2014 for:

$215,100.00 Bid Source: Live: Floor bidder

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A stellar representation from the heart of The Streak

1930's Lou Gehrig Game Worn New York Yankees Cap, MEARS Authentic. As this Platinum Night catalog heads to print, a major milestone of one of the most memorable events in New York Yankees franchise history will be crossed, the seventy-fifth anniversary of Lou Gehrig's heartbreaking send-off on Independence Day of baseball's centennial season. With President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s rousing "I Have a Dream" sermon in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, Lou Gehrig's brave farewell at Yankee Stadium occupies a short list of the most recognized and celebrated speeches in American history.

But while those immortal thirteen words--"Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth"--have served to become Gehrig's most familiar association, the power of his speech, and his true legacy, is borne of his unwavering dedication to his duty--only the immovable object of fate could block the irresistable force of Gehrig's will. In an age of beanballs and "rub some dirt on it" sports medicine, the 2,130 consecutive games streak remains one of the greatest achievements ever rendered on American athletic ground.

While the precise vintage of the presented navy wool New York Yankees cap has been lost to history, attribution to that famous streak is nonetheless assured solely by the "7 1/8 L. Gehrig" embroidered into the leather interior headband. We note that this distinctive sewn attribution perfectly matches other known Yankees caps of the period. In fact, the format and stitching pattern is essentially identical to that found in Gehrig's 1934 Tour of Japan cap sold in Heritage's August 2011 Platinum Night event, suggesting that this Yankees model might date to his sole Triple Crown campaign. Solid wear is evident, as one would expect from the durable Iron Horse, yet the only condition flaw that merits mention is a small v-shaped slash on the unbroken visor that has been secured to prevent growth. Our catalog imagery should indicate that the distraction is quite minor.

For a second consecutive August Platinum Night, we've been blessed with the good fortune to present a Gehrig cap to our elite clientele, and this specimen is every bit the equal of its predecessor, which garnered a $239,000 result in spirited bidding. Don't let this sequel misrepresent the availability of Gehrig uniform material, however. And remember that, as such pieces find permanent homes at the upper reaches of the collecting hobby, the wait for the next such opportunity might well be many years in coming. LOA from MEARS, Authentic. LOA from Heritage Auctions.

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