Spring 2008 - Item detail
1988 Paul Molitor Milwaukee Brewers Signed Home Jersey
- Sold For:
- $3,819
- Year:
- 1988
- Auction:
- 2008 Spring
- Lot #:
- 1412
- Category:
- Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia
Milwaukee Brewers home jersey issued to Hall of Fame infielder Paul Molitor in 1988. Graded A8 by MEARS. The white pinstripe knit jersey is lettered "Brewers" across the front and features the number "4" on the left breast and reverse. All letters and numerals are appliquéd in blue on gold tackle twill. A circular patch bearing the initials "HK" (in memory of Harvey Kuenn who died on 2/28/88) appears on the left sleeve. Located on the left front tail are a "Rawlings 42" label, a white strip tag bearing the year and player's name stitched in blue ("88 Molitor"), and a flag tag reading "Set 1 1988." Molitor has signed the jersey in black marker (grading "9") on the left breast next to the number. Original and unaltered, the jersey displays moderate wear including a large circular stain (eight inches in diameter) that is visible on both the front and back. Molitor's career spanned three decades (1978-1998), during which time he was considered one of the toughest "outs" in baseball. He batted over .300 on twelve separate occasions, including a career-high .353 in 1987, and his career total of 3,319 hits currently ranks ninth on the all-time list. Molitor batted .312 with 13 home runs and 60 RBI in 1987. He finished his career with .306 lifetime average and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. Graded A8 by MEARS (5 point base grade plus 3 points for matching the characteristics of known Molitor game jerseys). This is currently one of only two Paul Molitor jerseys listed in the MEARS population report (the other, a 1995 Blue Jays jersey, is graded A10). This jersey has been consigned to this auction directly from the personal collection/inventory of world-renowned bat and jersey authenticators David Bushing and/or Troy Kinunen. LOAs from Dave Bushing & Troy Kinunen/MEARS and James Spence/JSA. Reserve $500. Estimate $1,000/$1,500. SOLD FOR $3,818.75