Circa 1928 George Pipgras New York Yankees Game-Used Road Jersey MEARS A9.5

Sold For:

$75,000

Year:

1928

Auction:

2019 Fall

Lot #:

2132

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

New York Yankees road jersey worn by pitcher George Pipgras, circa 1928. Graded A9.5 by MEARS. New York Yankees jerseys dating from the club’s 1927-1928 World Championship seasons are rare. This is just the second example we have handled, and we have seen few others at auction. The gray flannel jersey is lettered “Yankees” across the front in navy felt. Located in the collar are a “Spalding” label and the name “Pipgras,” which is chain-stitched in faded red thread. Pipgras has inscribed the jersey “Geo. W. Pipgras 2/3/86” in blue Sharpie (grading “6”) on the left front tail (Pipgras died on 10/19/86 at the age of 86). As noted in the accompanying MEARS letter, the jersey dates to the 1927-1928 time period, but based on its analysis, 1928 appears to be the more probable year of issue. This jersey is featured prominently on pages 78-79 in the book "Game Worn: Baseball Treasures from the Game's Greatest Heroes and Moments" by Stephen Wong and Dave Grob (Smithsonian Books, 2016). The jersey is original as issued, with no alterations, and displays moderate-to-heavy wear. There is a small hole in the rear tail that MEARS attributes to the removal of a “fat strap,” which is common for jerseys of this time period. There is also a reddish discoloration under each armpit and on the left sleeve, as well as the tail of the jersey. As MEARS explains, this discoloration was caused by fabric bleeding from a navy-blue undergarment. George Pipgras played sparingly for the Yankees in both 1923 and 1924. After spending the 1925 and 1926 seasons in the minors, he returned to the Yankees on a full-time basis in 1927. Pipgras started 21 games in 1927 and finished the year with a 10-3 record and 4.11 ERA. He also won his only start in the World Series, defeating Pittsburgh 6-2 in Game 2. In 1928 he enjoyed the finest season of his career, when he led the American League in wins (24), innings pitched (300.2) and games started (38). Once again, he punctuated his season with another World Series victory over St. Louis in Game 3. Pipgras remained with the Yankees until 1933, when he was traded to the Red Sox in midseason. He retired after the 1935 season with 102 wins and a 4.09 lifetime ERA. Graded A9.5 by MEARS (base grade of 10, with a half point deducted for the discoloration). LOA from Dave Grob/MEARS (for the jersey only). Pre-certified by Steve Grad and Brian Sobrero/Beckett Authentication Services (for the signature only). Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).