Spring 2021 - Item detail
1951 Robin Roberts Philadelphia Phillies Game-Used Road Jersey SGC Excellent
- Sold For:
- $15,600
- Year:
- 1951
- Auction:
- 2021 Spring
- Lot #:
- 2608
- Category:
- Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia
Exceptional game-used jersey worn by Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Famer Robin Roberts during the 1951 season. Fresh off a World Championship in 1950, Roberts was the Phillies' ace during the 1951 campaign, compiling a 21-15 record across a National League-leading 315 innings pitched and thirty-nine games started. Roberts enjoyed fourteen years with the Phillies, including a seven-year stretch in which he was a perennial All Star from 1950 to 1956. He finished his career with stints in Baltimore, Houston, and Chicago, amassing 286 victories over nineteen years. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. This is the first Robin Roberts game-used jersey, from any year, that we have ever offered, and it is one of only a small handful we've seen presented at auction over the last twenty years. In his accompanying letter of opinion, Dave Grob notes that all Phillies jerseys dating from this era, let alone those worn by a Hall of Famer, are especially rare. He remarks that the offered jersey is the earliest Roberts jersey of which he has any record.
The gray flannel jersey is lettered "Phillies" across the front and features the number "36" on the reverse. All letters and numerals are appliquéd in red felt. A "Wilson" label and a "44" size tag are present on the left front tail. Roberts' name and the year are chain-stitched in red in the collar ("Roberts - 51"). A commemorative National League 75th Anniversary patch is present on the left shoulder. This patch is significant as it dates the jersey to this rare one-year style. It is noted that the patch, while entirely original in its own right, has been expertly attached to the jersey in a restorative capacity. A small repair is also present in the lower right front tail of the jersey. Aside from the patch, the jersey is completely original, with no alterations, and it displays moderate-to-heavy wear, especially for a pitcher. Philadelphia Phillies jerseys from the "Whiz Kids" era have always been highly prized by collectors, and this garment, worn by one of the franchise's key players, represents a truly outstanding example worthy of even the most advanced collection! Graded Excellent by SGC/Dave Grob. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).
The gray flannel jersey is lettered "Phillies" across the front and features the number "36" on the reverse. All letters and numerals are appliquéd in red felt. A "Wilson" label and a "44" size tag are present on the left front tail. Roberts' name and the year are chain-stitched in red in the collar ("Roberts - 51"). A commemorative National League 75th Anniversary patch is present on the left shoulder. This patch is significant as it dates the jersey to this rare one-year style. It is noted that the patch, while entirely original in its own right, has been expertly attached to the jersey in a restorative capacity. A small repair is also present in the lower right front tail of the jersey. Aside from the patch, the jersey is completely original, with no alterations, and it displays moderate-to-heavy wear, especially for a pitcher. Philadelphia Phillies jerseys from the "Whiz Kids" era have always been highly prized by collectors, and this garment, worn by one of the franchise's key players, represents a truly outstanding example worthy of even the most advanced collection! Graded Excellent by SGC/Dave Grob. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).