hblakewolf
04-21-2008, 04:59 PM
Amazing post on the MEARS site about the upcoming Braves jacket that Lampson has written a LOA for, indicating it as a Aaron Rookie gamer.
Hats off to Dave Grob for his fine research and thoughts on this.
Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net
__________________________________________________ _____________
Heritage Auction Lot #19965 is listed as an “Early 1950's Milwaukee Braves Game Worn Jacket Attributed to Rookie Hank Aaron”. At the close of the on-line description it states that LOA MEARS along with a LOA from Lou Lampson. Please know that MEARS made no definitive attribution of this jacket to Hank Aaron. As always, if you see a MEARS LOO listed in a description, please ask the person offering the item for a copy of the letter. Below represents the information I provided as part of the MEARS Letter of Opinion.
Dave Grob
----------------------------------------------
Item Description: 1951-56 era Milwaukee Braves jacket with period Wilson tagging. Player identification #5 is sewn to a swatch with #28 later written in black marker. The jacket is tagged as a size 44 indicated by the tagging in the collar.
This Braves jacket is dated to the circa 1951-56 as a point of manufacturer based on the style of the jacket style of the Wilson manufactured tags. Jackets are known to stay in team inventories for years so it is possible that the jacket may have been used past this period. The basic design can be seen as late as 1963. One change that was noted is that by 1957, there appear to be a mix of both zipper and button front closures to this same style.
The Boston Braves did indeed wear a similar style jacket, imitating the "BRAVES and Tomahawk" front design. However images of the Boston Braves from as late as 1950 indicate the presence of a large Indian Head with Headdress on the back of the jacket. There are no visible sign that this style patch was ever applied to this jacket.
The jacket, when originally ordered and issued was for wear by a player wearing the number 5. A survey of this number throughout the period of 1951 through 1956 indicate:
1951-1952 Boston Braves
Sam Jethroe
1953 Milwaukee Braves
Sam Jethroe
1954 Milwaukee Braves
Henry Aaron
1955 Milwaukee Braves
Tom Whisenant
1956 Milwaukee Braves
Felix Mantilla
In reviewing Boston and Milwaukee Braves Team yearbooks in my reference library from this period, the following heights and weights are found (NOTE: These sources are preferred to a single entry that can be found in references like Total Baseball or the Baseball Encyclopedia because the yearbooks are actual period references and a players height and weight change over a career):
1951-1952 Boston Braves
Sam Jethroe: 6',1"; 178 lbs
1953 Milwaukee Braves
Sam Jethroe: 6, 1", 178lbs
1954 Milwaukee Braves
Henry Aaron: 5', 10"; 170lbs (NOTE: Aaron is not listed in the first edition of the 1954 Milwaukee Braves Yearbook nor does he appear in the original 1954 Team Photo. His sizes were taken from the 1955 Yearbook. This publication contains a photo of the 1954 Braves showing Aaron wearing #5)
1955 Milwaukee Braves
Tom Whisenant: 6', 2"; 190 lbs
1956 Milwaukee Braves
Felix Mantilla: 6', 1"; 160 lbs
ATTRIBUTION TO HENRY AARON
The issue that then becomes most significant about this jacket would be the attribution to a particular player, especially if one of those possibilities includes Henry Aaron. The evaluation of this jacket as one possibly worn by Aaron based on the numeric identification as indicated by the "5" sewn to the swatch centers on both the size of the jacket and how jackets are ordered when player identification is done at that time.
The MEARS data base shows that Cert # 303173 is a 1954 Henry Aaron Milwaukee Braves Wilson Road Jersey, size 40. This jersey was graded as an A-9. It is expected that the jacket size would be the same or possibly one size larger than the jersey. In this case and in this year of 1954, the jacket would have been two (2) sizes larger than the jersey.
The other thing to consider is that this style of jacket is without any sort of external numerical identification. This means that the jacket need not match the player it was issued to. As we have seen, and is the case in this very same jacket, that it was re issued to a player who wore the number 28.
Jackets, when ordered and sewn with player specific annotations as is the case with this "5" swatch, are typically done with a player in mind. This is also typically an established player. In this case, based on the style and size of the jacket along with the manufacturers tag, it seems most likely that the jacket was originally ordered for Sam Jethroe.
As mentioned previously, Aaron was not even listed in the first edition of the Milwaukee Braves Yearbook so it is doubtful in my opinion that the jacket was ordered for him to begin the 1954 season. This point is further underscored and is addressed on page 26 of "Home Run: My Life in Pictures" by Hank Aaron with Dick Schapp in that it notes that in the spring of 1954 Aaron was not expected to make the team and only made the club that year because the Braves regular left fielder, Bobby Thomson had broken his ankle sliding in spring training.
Still the question becomes could Aaron have worn the jacket given he wore #5 in 1954. Two points need to be addressed. The first is the size which would appear larger than expected. The second involves a series of related issues. Since we know that this jacket is without external numerical identification, it need not have been issued, or in this case re-issued to a player based on his uniform number as discussed above and is indicated by the presence of the hand written "28" player identification. The determining factor for issuing a jacket that need not correspond to an external numerical identification would be finding and issuing a jacket to a player that was an appropriate size for them to wear. It is possible that the jacket worn by Aaron during the 1954 season, a season he was not even included in first edition of the team yearbook may not have been issued based on his uniform number, but on the size he needed. This takes us back to the issue of this jacket being two sizes greater than the jersey size from the same year.
The fact that the Braves kept extra or reusable jackets on-hand is further supported by photographic evidence as seen on page 103 of "The All Star Game: A Pictorial History, 1933 to Present" by Donald Honig. The image in question is from the 1955 All Star Game. A Philadelphia Phillies player, as identified by his cap and pinstripe pants, can be seen greeting Stan Musial at home plate while wearing this style Braves dugout jacket.
While I have no doubt about this jacket being one that was ordered by the Braves between 1951-1956 for issue and use by a major league player, I feel that player was most likely Sam Jethroe. With respect to attributing this jacket to Henry Aaron, I am not able to do this with any degree of objective certainty due to:
*Issues with the jacket size vs jersey size.
* Aaron's status as a player and the impact this may have had on ordering him a jacket for the 1954 season.
Dave Grob
MEARS
Hats off to Dave Grob for his fine research and thoughts on this.
Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net
__________________________________________________ _____________
Heritage Auction Lot #19965 is listed as an “Early 1950's Milwaukee Braves Game Worn Jacket Attributed to Rookie Hank Aaron”. At the close of the on-line description it states that LOA MEARS along with a LOA from Lou Lampson. Please know that MEARS made no definitive attribution of this jacket to Hank Aaron. As always, if you see a MEARS LOO listed in a description, please ask the person offering the item for a copy of the letter. Below represents the information I provided as part of the MEARS Letter of Opinion.
Dave Grob
----------------------------------------------
Item Description: 1951-56 era Milwaukee Braves jacket with period Wilson tagging. Player identification #5 is sewn to a swatch with #28 later written in black marker. The jacket is tagged as a size 44 indicated by the tagging in the collar.
This Braves jacket is dated to the circa 1951-56 as a point of manufacturer based on the style of the jacket style of the Wilson manufactured tags. Jackets are known to stay in team inventories for years so it is possible that the jacket may have been used past this period. The basic design can be seen as late as 1963. One change that was noted is that by 1957, there appear to be a mix of both zipper and button front closures to this same style.
The Boston Braves did indeed wear a similar style jacket, imitating the "BRAVES and Tomahawk" front design. However images of the Boston Braves from as late as 1950 indicate the presence of a large Indian Head with Headdress on the back of the jacket. There are no visible sign that this style patch was ever applied to this jacket.
The jacket, when originally ordered and issued was for wear by a player wearing the number 5. A survey of this number throughout the period of 1951 through 1956 indicate:
1951-1952 Boston Braves
Sam Jethroe
1953 Milwaukee Braves
Sam Jethroe
1954 Milwaukee Braves
Henry Aaron
1955 Milwaukee Braves
Tom Whisenant
1956 Milwaukee Braves
Felix Mantilla
In reviewing Boston and Milwaukee Braves Team yearbooks in my reference library from this period, the following heights and weights are found (NOTE: These sources are preferred to a single entry that can be found in references like Total Baseball or the Baseball Encyclopedia because the yearbooks are actual period references and a players height and weight change over a career):
1951-1952 Boston Braves
Sam Jethroe: 6',1"; 178 lbs
1953 Milwaukee Braves
Sam Jethroe: 6, 1", 178lbs
1954 Milwaukee Braves
Henry Aaron: 5', 10"; 170lbs (NOTE: Aaron is not listed in the first edition of the 1954 Milwaukee Braves Yearbook nor does he appear in the original 1954 Team Photo. His sizes were taken from the 1955 Yearbook. This publication contains a photo of the 1954 Braves showing Aaron wearing #5)
1955 Milwaukee Braves
Tom Whisenant: 6', 2"; 190 lbs
1956 Milwaukee Braves
Felix Mantilla: 6', 1"; 160 lbs
ATTRIBUTION TO HENRY AARON
The issue that then becomes most significant about this jacket would be the attribution to a particular player, especially if one of those possibilities includes Henry Aaron. The evaluation of this jacket as one possibly worn by Aaron based on the numeric identification as indicated by the "5" sewn to the swatch centers on both the size of the jacket and how jackets are ordered when player identification is done at that time.
The MEARS data base shows that Cert # 303173 is a 1954 Henry Aaron Milwaukee Braves Wilson Road Jersey, size 40. This jersey was graded as an A-9. It is expected that the jacket size would be the same or possibly one size larger than the jersey. In this case and in this year of 1954, the jacket would have been two (2) sizes larger than the jersey.
The other thing to consider is that this style of jacket is without any sort of external numerical identification. This means that the jacket need not match the player it was issued to. As we have seen, and is the case in this very same jacket, that it was re issued to a player who wore the number 28.
Jackets, when ordered and sewn with player specific annotations as is the case with this "5" swatch, are typically done with a player in mind. This is also typically an established player. In this case, based on the style and size of the jacket along with the manufacturers tag, it seems most likely that the jacket was originally ordered for Sam Jethroe.
As mentioned previously, Aaron was not even listed in the first edition of the Milwaukee Braves Yearbook so it is doubtful in my opinion that the jacket was ordered for him to begin the 1954 season. This point is further underscored and is addressed on page 26 of "Home Run: My Life in Pictures" by Hank Aaron with Dick Schapp in that it notes that in the spring of 1954 Aaron was not expected to make the team and only made the club that year because the Braves regular left fielder, Bobby Thomson had broken his ankle sliding in spring training.
Still the question becomes could Aaron have worn the jacket given he wore #5 in 1954. Two points need to be addressed. The first is the size which would appear larger than expected. The second involves a series of related issues. Since we know that this jacket is without external numerical identification, it need not have been issued, or in this case re-issued to a player based on his uniform number as discussed above and is indicated by the presence of the hand written "28" player identification. The determining factor for issuing a jacket that need not correspond to an external numerical identification would be finding and issuing a jacket to a player that was an appropriate size for them to wear. It is possible that the jacket worn by Aaron during the 1954 season, a season he was not even included in first edition of the team yearbook may not have been issued based on his uniform number, but on the size he needed. This takes us back to the issue of this jacket being two sizes greater than the jersey size from the same year.
The fact that the Braves kept extra or reusable jackets on-hand is further supported by photographic evidence as seen on page 103 of "The All Star Game: A Pictorial History, 1933 to Present" by Donald Honig. The image in question is from the 1955 All Star Game. A Philadelphia Phillies player, as identified by his cap and pinstripe pants, can be seen greeting Stan Musial at home plate while wearing this style Braves dugout jacket.
While I have no doubt about this jacket being one that was ordered by the Braves between 1951-1956 for issue and use by a major league player, I feel that player was most likely Sam Jethroe. With respect to attributing this jacket to Henry Aaron, I am not able to do this with any degree of objective certainty due to:
*Issues with the jacket size vs jersey size.
* Aaron's status as a player and the impact this may have had on ordering him a jacket for the 1954 season.
Dave Grob
MEARS