Grey Flannel: 1989 Sammy Sosa jersey

[kingjammy24]

currently up for auction: http://www.greyflannelauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=21632

"Lot #102: 1989 Sammy Sosa Rookie Texas Rangers Game-Used Road Jersey"

here we go:

1) sosa made his MLB debut on june 16, 1989. by july 29, he was already traded to the white sox. he played in a total of 25 games for the rangers in '89.

2) the strip tag has a "1" sewn on it. it should have the uniform number. in this case "17". shown below is a 1989 rangers gamer. it has the uniform number on the strip tag. see pic below.

3) in may 2002, lelands auctioned off a 1989 texas rangers road sosa gamer here: http://www.lelands.com/Auction.aspx/AuctionDetailed/9372/May-2002/Sports/Uniforms/Lot1971~1989-Sammy-Sosa-Game-Worn-Rangers-Jersey/page1

it has the uniform number on the strip tag.

4) the GFC sosa has a 1990/91 rawlings tag. coincidentally enough in 1991 some guy named gary green wore #1 for the rangers.

5) coincidentally enough, the GFC sosa has the rawlings tag opened up and re-sewn right where the set/year flag tag is. GFC tag is shown in the lower right. note the 2 examples below left with perfectly clean stitches on all 4 sides. i'm aware that some rawlings tags were oversewn at the factory but the GFC tag is not oversewn. its been cut open and resewn.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2378/juan1.jpg

rudy.

[suicide_squeeze]

currently up for auction: http://www.greyflannelauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?lotid=21632

"Lot #102: 1989 Sammy Sosa Rookie Texas Rangers Game-Used Road Jersey"

here we go:

1) sosa made his MLB debut on june 16, 1989. by july 29, he was already traded to the white sox. he played in a total of 25 games for the rangers in '89.

2) the strip tag has a "1" sewn on it. it should have the uniform number. in this case "17". shown below is a 1989 rangers gamer. it has the uniform number on the strip tag. see pic below.

3) in may 2002, lelands auctioned off a 1989 texas rangers road sosa gamer here: http://www.lelands.com/Auction.aspx/AuctionDetailed/9372/May-2002/Sports/Uniforms/Lot1971~1989-Sammy-Sosa-Game-Worn-Rangers-Jersey/page1

it has the uniform number on the strip tag.

4) the GFC sosa has a 1990/91 rawlings tag. coincidentally enough in 1991 some guy named gary green wore #1 for the rangers.

5) coincidentally enough, the GFC sosa has the rawlings tag opened up and re-sewn right where the set/year flag tag is. GFC tag is shown in the lower right. note the 2 examples below left with perfectly clean stitches on all 4 sides. i'm aware that some rawlings tags were oversewn at the factory but the GFC tag is not oversewn. its been cut open and resewn.

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2378/juan1.jpg

rudy.


Totally disappointing that this industry hasn't a regulatory board to oversee this blatant misrepresentation in selling bad items.....besides the forum here.

IMO, this is just another disgusting flagrant abuse of trust towards their customers in regards to the items placed in auctions by Grey Flannel. There is no explanation for the lack of knowledge they display with the items they irresponsibly inject into the hobby. There is only profits to be made. And later, disappointed collectors who find out they have boughten garbage, have no recourse, so then have no alternative other then to turn to places like ebay to "off" their "garbage". After all, they certainly don't want to live with the loss. The bad memorabilia merry-go-round grows....

Unfortunately, this will continue until there is a governing body formed to oversee the industry.

[sox83cubs84]

Many years ago, a collector asked me to look at a Texas jersey he had. The jersey was a #17, and had a NOB of (Fred) MANRIQUE. Under the existing NOB, however, there was a definite imprint of SOSA. It would make sense, neither was a big guy at the time (jersey was size 42) and they changed teams in the same trade.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[suicide_squeeze]

Many years ago, a collector asked me to look at a Texas jersey he had. The jersey was a #17, and had a NOB of (Fred) MANRIQUE. Under the existing NOB, however, there was a definite imprint of SOSA. It would make sense, neither was a big guy at the time (jersey was size 42) and they changed teams in the same trade.

Dave M.
Chicago area

Dave,

I am assuming you stated that to indicate there just may be very few, if any, legit Sosa jerseys out there from Texas because they likely changed the NOB due to the fact Sosa was there for such a short while. Couple that with the fact he was a "nobody" when his career started, and the teams wouldn't have thought twice about altering his jersey.

But Dave, I'll bet you didn't find the manufacturer's tag opened up on the end where the "set tag" would be stitched in, or have the player's number tag stitched in, did you? That's because the NOB was the only necessary thing to change. And there is no proper explanation for this, other than they were added or altered to give the impression the jersey was what it is being represented as....a Sosa rookie jersey.

One would hope that such a deceiptful alteration would be mentioned in an auction of a company who claims to be the "best in the business", and not end up with "and appears to have no alterations of any kind." as part of the description.

Just outright shameful, IMO.

[sox83cubs84]

Dave,

I am assuming you stated that to indicate there just may be very few, if any, legit Sosa jerseys out there from Texas because they likely changed the NOB due to the fact Sosa was there for such a short while. Couple that with the fact he was a "nobody" when his career started, and the teams wouldn't have thought twice about altering his jersey.

But Dave, I'll bet you didn't find the manufacturer's tag opened up on the end where the "set tag" would be stitched in, or have the player's number tag stitched in, did you? That's because the NOB was the only necessary thing to change. And there is no proper explanation for this, other than they were added or altered to give the impression the jersey was what it is being represented as....a Sosa rookie jersey.

One would hope that such a deceiptful alteration would be mentioned in an auction of a company who claims to be the "best in the business", and not end up with "and appears to have no alterations of any kind." as part of the description.

Just outright shameful, IMO.

Steve:

Correct on all counts.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[kingjammy24]

jersey has been removed.

rudy.