1967 Roberto Clemente Game Worn Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey -- Photo Matched!...

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Aug 23, 2025 for:

Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Owned by the Clemente family until 2004 with their letter of provenance!

1967 Roberto Clemente Game Worn Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey -- Photo Matched! With two weeks left in the 1966 season, the race for the National League pennant had narrowed to a threesome, with the Pirates and the Dodgers and the Giants running neck and neck. We suspect that it was around this time that the subject jersey was ordered and delivered in the hopes that Pittsburgh would break the tape to represent the Senior Circuit in the World Series, though of course the honor would go to the City of Angels instead, allowing Sandy Koufax to exit the sport as a National League Champion. The brilliant Roberto Clemente would have to settle for his one and only National League MVP Award as a consolation prize.

So the subject garment, tagged, "McGregor Set 2 1966" along with a washing instructions label at bottom interior button path, instead saw action in the subsequent 1967 season, where it would appear in multiple photographs located by Sports Investors Authentication including definitive matches to 6/27 at Mets (1-for-5), 6/29 at Cubs (3-for-5), and two undated photos that are both likely from the Mets game. SIA also suggests likely wear in the 1967 All-Star Game, but photo clarity isn't quite sharp enough for a definitive attribution.

Though Clemente would finish third behind Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver in 1967 National League MVP balloting, he'd actually improve upon his offensive numbers from the previous year, most notably with a career-best .357 batting average representing his fourth and final N.L. batting championship. His 209 hits likewise paced the league, and a .954 OPS was nearly sixty points better than his 1966 MVP numbers. This jersey unquestionably found the tragic Hall of Famer at the dizzying peak of his powers.

The grey flannel vest format is the style worn by Clemente for all but the earliest and latest years of his Hall of Fame career, featuring black-on-yellow felt "Pirates 21" on chest, with the digits repeated in larger format on verso. These are original to the jersey's production, which utilized heavy glue to affix the identifiers prior to sewing, resulting in some yellowish staining apparent at front and back. The same black and yellow colors form the soutache adorning the armholes and collar. "MacGregor [size] 42" label appears at interior collar. We'll repeat that the date tagging and washing instructions label are found at bottom interior button patch. The fabric has thinned a bit between the rear numerals from repeated wear and washing, but this is only apparent upon very close inspection and mentioned solely in the interest of full disclosure. All buttons are original.

The jersey was treasured by the Clemente family for nearly four decades until it was sold to a collector in 2004 along with a letter of provenance signed by Roberto's wife and son. With that family provenance, the ironclad assurance of authenticity provided by multiple photo matches, and heavy game wear from what was arguably Clemente's best season ever, this is a jersey suitable for the most esteemed of private collections. Letter of provenance from Clemente family. Photo match LOA from Sports Investors Authentication. LOA from Heritage Auctions.