Early 1970's Roberto Clemente Game Worn Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey....

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Sold on Aug 2, 2012 for:

$35,850.00 Bid Source: Live: Floor bidder

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Early 1970's Roberto Clemente Game Worn Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey. Participants in our record-setting May 2012 Signature Sports Collectibles Auction will recall a substantial and impressive collection of 1970's Pittsburgh Pirates uniforms, consigned to auction by the children of the couple who served for over a decade as the team's maintenance worker and seamstress at their Florida spring training grounds. Presented is the crown jewel of that collection, the final piece from the vast assembly, held over for inclusion in our prestigious Platinum Night auction event.

The style will be instantly familiar to any fan alive for that brief span of months when the Pirates legend supplied the full spectrum of emotion to his followers, beginning with a 1971 World Championship, then 3,000 Hit Club membership, and finally the tragic fatal plane crash on December 31, 1972. While the relatively simple design of the white knit pullover precludes the option of photomatching, the possibility that this is in fact the final jersey worn by the martyred Hall of Famer must be noted.

"Pirates 21" is applied to the chest of the jersey in classic black and yellow tackle twill, with number "21" repeated similarly on verso. It should be stressed that these identifiers are original and unaltered, with breaks in the stitching of the top part of the number "1" on reverse, and lesser disengagement of the number "2," the only deviations from the original state. The proper "Rawlings [size] 40" label remains at interior rear tail, beside the requisite washing instructions label. Wear is solid throughout, with a few scattered stains that do very little to distract the eye. A matching pair of home white pants, tagged "Rawlings [size] 34," are believed to be Clemente's but lack any markings which would supply definitive attribution. At the very least, they serve to enhance the display possibilities. They likewise exhibit solid wear, with no damage to note. Letter of provenance from consignor. LOA from Heritage Auctions.