Summer 2020 - Item detail
1913-1914 John McGraw World Tour Game-Used Uniform - Jersey and Pants - MEARS A9.5
- Sold For:
- $234,000
- Year:
- 1914
- Auction:
- 2020 Summer
- Lot #:
- 1853
- Category:
- Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia
New York Giants home uniform worn by Hall of Fame manager John McGraw during the club's 1913-1914 World Tour. Graded A9.5 by MEARS. Major League Jerseys, let alone full uniforms, from this era are exceedingly rare, especially those worn by prominent Hall of Famers such as McGraw. Combine that with the fact that this uniform was worn by McGraw during the first great world tour of the century and is, to the best of our knowledge, the only surviving example from the 1913-1914 World Tour, makes it one of the most historically significant game-used garments we have ever seen, let alone offered. As noted in MEARS' comprehensive LOA (which can be viewed in its entirety on our website), this uniform was specially produced for the World Tour, and the unique style lettering of "Giants" on the front is easily confirmed in numerous photographs from the tour. The white pinstripe flannel jersey is lettered "Giants" across the front in blue felt letters. A "Spalding" label appears in the collar, along with the name "J. J. McGraw" chain-stitched in black. The matching pinstripe pants also feature a "Spalding" label in the waistband with "J. J. McGraw" chain-stitched in black directly below. Both garments are original as issued, with no alterations. Moderate wear is displayed throughout, including a small tear in the right underarm gusset and minor fabric loss to the lettering on the front. One important note, which MEARS points out, is that during the 1913-1914 World Tour, the Giants and White Sox team members were provided with both a home and away uniform. However, because the White Sox home uniforms, from a distance, looked very similar to the Giants uniforms, the Giants wore their home uniforms for the majority of the games on the tour. Therefore, the offered jersey was worn by McGraw for most of the games played (approximately 49 games were played in total between the clubs). Graded A9.5 by MEARS (base grade of 10, with a half-point deduction for the slight tear to the underarm gussets and minor fabric loss to the lettering). Full LOA from Dave Grob/MEARS.
While not as well known today as Spalding's legendary 1888-1889 World Tour, which was extensively covered in a number of early history works, the global navigation made by the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox in 1913-1914 was, by all accounts, equal to its predecessor in every way and much celebrated at the time. The tour was organized by Charles Comiskey, owner of the White Sox, and John McGraw, manager of the Giants. Utilizing players from each club, as well as a few extra players from other teams, the tour began on October 18th in Cincinnati and saw the tourists play 30 games in 30 days while traveling west across the United States, including games in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, and Oregon. The tourists then departed from Victoria, British Columbia, for Tokyo on the R.M.S. Empress of Japan. The overseas portion of the tour began on December 3, 1913, in Yokohama, Japan, and concluded on February 28, 1914, in Queenstown, Ireland. The tourists returned home on the Lusitania on March 6th, arriving in New York where they were given a royal reception.
John McGraw is one of the most important and influential figures in Major League Baseball. One of the game's premier players in the 1890s as a member of the legendary Baltimore Orioles, his playing-day exploits were soon overshadowed by his managerial accomplishments at the helm of the New York Giants. Between the years 1902 and 1932 McGraw led the Giants to 10 pennants and three World Championships. Even more impressive is the fact that in his 29 full seasons as manager of the Giants, his team finished either in first or second place in 21 of those 29 seasons. Known for his keen intelligence on the field as a player, McGraw taught his players the intricacies of the game and demanded that they play the game the way he did, with a "win at all costs attitude." He was both dictatorial in his managing style and blunt with his tongue, and few players ever bucked him. Those that did rarely remained in a Giants uniform for long. Giants coach Arlie Latham once remarked that “McGraw eats gunpowder every morning for breakfast and washes it down with warm blood,” McGraw retired in 1932, but the following year he was coaxed out of retirement for one day to manage the National League in the first ever All-Star Game. When McGraw died the following year, he was universally regarded as the finest manager in the history of the game. Opening Bid $50,000. Estimate (open).
While not as well known today as Spalding's legendary 1888-1889 World Tour, which was extensively covered in a number of early history works, the global navigation made by the New York Giants and Chicago White Sox in 1913-1914 was, by all accounts, equal to its predecessor in every way and much celebrated at the time. The tour was organized by Charles Comiskey, owner of the White Sox, and John McGraw, manager of the Giants. Utilizing players from each club, as well as a few extra players from other teams, the tour began on October 18th in Cincinnati and saw the tourists play 30 games in 30 days while traveling west across the United States, including games in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, and Oregon. The tourists then departed from Victoria, British Columbia, for Tokyo on the R.M.S. Empress of Japan. The overseas portion of the tour began on December 3, 1913, in Yokohama, Japan, and concluded on February 28, 1914, in Queenstown, Ireland. The tourists returned home on the Lusitania on March 6th, arriving in New York where they were given a royal reception.
John McGraw is one of the most important and influential figures in Major League Baseball. One of the game's premier players in the 1890s as a member of the legendary Baltimore Orioles, his playing-day exploits were soon overshadowed by his managerial accomplishments at the helm of the New York Giants. Between the years 1902 and 1932 McGraw led the Giants to 10 pennants and three World Championships. Even more impressive is the fact that in his 29 full seasons as manager of the Giants, his team finished either in first or second place in 21 of those 29 seasons. Known for his keen intelligence on the field as a player, McGraw taught his players the intricacies of the game and demanded that they play the game the way he did, with a "win at all costs attitude." He was both dictatorial in his managing style and blunt with his tongue, and few players ever bucked him. Those that did rarely remained in a Giants uniform for long. Giants coach Arlie Latham once remarked that “McGraw eats gunpowder every morning for breakfast and washes it down with warm blood,” McGraw retired in 1932, but the following year he was coaxed out of retirement for one day to manage the National League in the first ever All-Star Game. When McGraw died the following year, he was universally regarded as the finest manager in the history of the game. Opening Bid $50,000. Estimate (open).