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Circa 1933 Joe DiMaggio Game Worn & Signed San Francisco Seals Jersey with Photo Match Documentation, MEARS A9,...
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Sold on Feb 25, 2023 for:
$264,000.00
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Description
The earliest DiMaggio gamer known!
Circa 1933 Joe DiMaggio Game Worn & Signed San Francisco Seals
Jersey with Photo Match Documentation, MEARS A9, The Babe was
still stuffing his belly into pinstripes as a skinny teenager at
the other edge of the continent was positively swimming in these,
taking his first steps in a professional career that would place
him upon the Mount Rushmore of Yankeedom and within the bronze
brotherhood of Cooperstown. Though he'd follow the age-old
tradition of debuting in the meaningless last few games of a season
in 1932, the lanky outfielder became a full-time starter at age
eighteen in 1933, playing in an outrageous 187 games and providing
organized baseball with his first of two legendary streaks, hitting
safely in sixty-one consecutive games between May 27 and July 25 of
that year.The high-probability photo match documentation supplied by Sports Investors Authentication amplifies the appeal of this Pacific Coast League rarity, as they conclude their examination with the statement, "The clarity of this photo does not allow us to say with absolute certainty that this jersey is photo matched. However, all evidence supports and suggests this jersey being an apparent match to the jersey worn by Joe DiMaggio in Getty image 514975442."
Sure enough, the intersection of the pinstripes at the various points of the bold "SEALS" spanning the chest in distinctive black chenille lettering is so precise as to stifle all reasonable cynicism, but the supporting evidence continues onward from there. The jersey was originally sold with a letter of provenance from famed collector Barry Halper attesting that he acquired the garment from veteran Major Leaguer Dick Bartell in 1983 at the Golden Anniversary edition of the All-Star Game. Bartell was a resident of Alameda, California, just across the bay from San Francisco. Unfortunately, the Halper document has been lost, but is referenced in an auction listing from a sale nearly twenty years ago.
As a close personal friend of the Yankee Clipper, Halper presented the jersey to its original owner for his autograph, a reunion a half-century in the making. In the canvas-lined collar, below the "Wilson [size] 44" label, the 8/10 blue sharpie inscription reads, "8/21/83, Joe DiMaggio (1933)."
Our catalog imagery should convey that the lower part of the jersey is darkened by sweat from the furnace created by two layers of heavy flannel that tucking into pants would necessitate, but other than that only a few scattered tiny moth holes are to be noted in a condition report. Game wear is appropriately strong for a marathon season. Finally, the jersey is accompanied by a 1933 Seals program listing DiMaggio as number "10" and a photograph of the team wearing this style (DiMaggio is wearing a sibling jersey, not this exact one), each signed by the superstar slugger. LOA from MEARS, A9. Photo match documentation from Sports Investors Authentication. Full LOA from Beckett (jersey autograph). Full LOA from PSA/DNA (jersey autograph). LOA from Heritage Auctions.
Auction Info
2023 February 25 - 26 Winter Platinum Night Catalog Auction #50061 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2023
25th-26th
Saturday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 25
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,226
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20% of the successful bid per lot.
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