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View Full Version : Mike Piazza 1995 game worn All-Star jersey?



ShaimOnYou
11-29-2014, 05:11 PM
Any member from this forum win this Mike Piazza jersey? It was offered earlier this year in a major sports auction:

http://catalog.scpauctions.com/ItemImages/000028/0569CSprng2014Prem_lg.jpeg

http://catalog.scpauctions.com/ItemImages/000028/0569BSprng2014Prem_med.jpeg

The entire details can be seen here:

http://catalog.scpauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=28125

Someone paid $4,915 for it. Not bad for the consignor.

The jersey description includes the following claim:

"This 1995 Los Angeles Dodgers road gray All-Star jersey was worn by the slugging catcher in the Summer Classic that season."

The jersey sports a real nice name plate on the back with "P I A Z Z A" sewn on accordingly. The problem is authentic Los Angeles Dodger jerseys used in professional games don't sport "nameplates". All of their game jerseys have the letters sewn directly to them.

Here is a video link to the first half of the 1995 MLB All-Star game. While introducing the back-up visiting National League players, you can get your first glimpse of the back of an authentic 1995 game used Dodger road jersey as Raul Mondesi turns and briefly shows the back-side of his at the 9:11 mark into the video. No nameplate is present.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJDm6ortFd4

Definitive proof of the real 1995 All-Star worn Piazza jersey can be viewed at the 11:21 mark during his game introduction. Viewers can see a direct full back shot of Mike's jersey, void of a nameplate, letters sewn directly and individually to the jersey.

Setting aside the obvious missing nameplate, other issues include the placement of the "PIAZZA" letters in relationship to the "31" number on the back. A quick glance at the bottom out side corner of the last "A" appears to line up directly above the outside of the large numeral "1" on the back. The jersey sold in the auction link above shows the last "A" sewn on the nameplate to extend fully past the number "1" on the back.

The embroidered Russell manufacturer's "R" on the right sleeve appears to be almost touching the all-star patch sewn on above it with this auction jersey, while the "R" on Piazza's real jersey has ample distance between them (see the 25:00 minute mark, again at 43:27 in the bottom of the first inning). In fact, all of the Dodger jerseys worn in this game share the same trait, showing approximately an equal amount of space above and below the "R" between the patch and the piping, respectively. The auction jersey does not have that placement present.

There are also button placement problems. Most prominently the buttons just above and below the "Dodgers" script don't match up to the left of the second "d" (above the script) and to the left of the "g" (below). Both buttons in the two locations mentioned on the jersey sold in auction are positioned lower in relation to the lettering directly to their right when compared to the jersey worn by Piazza.

All of these issues alone point to the fact The jersey sold in the auction is not the jersey worn by Mike Piazza in the 1995 All-Star game. It is also safe to state it is extremely unlikely Mike Piazza ever wore this jersey in any professional MLB game due to the presence of the NOB plate. That is not a characteristic found on a professional Los Angeles Dodger jersey.

For those skeptics who claim that maybe MLB utilized that one-time style of jersey in this All-Star game because it was, after all, an "exhibition" game, or that Mike may have changed jerseys during the game and worn more than one, there is plenty of visual proof that wasn't the case. Ample video footage of the game shows Mike wore just one jersey as the same characteristics are seen on his jersey throughout the game.

In fact, definitive proof comes late. Still in the game in the seventh inning, Mike Piazza hits a home run. He is seen wearing the same jersey, the "issues" clearly visible and at odds with the auction jersey, before, during, and after his home run trot as the camera keeps going back to him, even during the post commentary of his blast.

Again, for comparison, the back of Hideo Nomo's jersey, the National League's starting pitcher and also a Dodger, can be clearly seen from the 12:35-12:38 mark. No nameplate. There are also numerous close-ups as he pitches in the first two innings.

For reference, here are additional time marks showing Mike Piazza's 1995 worn All-Star jersey was not the one offered in the auction above:

-44:44 to 44:49 Piazza throws out Baerga in the first inning, shows name on back, right sleeve issues.

-47:49 to 47:57 viewers are treated to a plethora of Dodger jerseys displaying all the same traits as the one worn by Piazza: In particular, no name plates, “R” trademark spacing on the right sleeve. Nomo has just exited the game and is being congratulated by Raul Modesi and Todd Worrell, both teammates on the Dodgers. Numerous angles and characteristics mentioned as issues with the auction jersey can be seen in conflict with all these jerseys (no name plates, the "R" positioning on the right sleeve, button positioning).

-48:02 Mike Piazza bats for the first time in the game against Randy Johnson in the top of the second wearing the same jersey he was introduced in. The video can be stopped showing clear shots of the higher button placement throughout, and the spacing of the “R” on the right sleeve.

(By the way and completely off-topic, there’s a really cool commercial at the 1:30:13 mark, worth a look!)

-1:33:15 to 1:33:29 again shows all the issues as Piazza hits in the 5th, the buttons on the front jersey, the right sleeve, then briefly the missing nameplate issue on the back and the alignment of the last “A” of his name with the large “1”. Same jersey.

Here is a link to the second half of the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJDm6ortFd4

Mike is seen hitting his home run in this Part Two video from 33:29 to 34:35. A visual review of the jersey shows it to be the exact same jersey worn all game, no nameplate, last letter of PIAZZA on back lining up with the “1”, buttons on front placed higher, “R” trademark spaced equally between the all-star patch and sleeve piping.

Hopefully the winner of this jersey will be tipped off to this thread and they can go about the business of trying to get their money back for this poor example of a DUPE-licate.

But there is one last disturbing aspect of the jersey sold in the auction. In the description it states “Comes with a Letter of Authenticity from National League President, Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. himself.”

These 1995 All-Star jerseys were auctioned off following the All-Star game for a charity event, probably in large part to get back in the good graces of MLB fans following a horrible ’94 strike-shortened season. The jerseys appear to have all been originally framed for the charity sale and, indeed, offered with a letter of authenticity signed by the President of the player’s respective league.

The problem for the winner of this jersey is these jerseys also came with a second letter placed inside the jersey housed in the framed display. The only way anyone would ever know this, other than MLB and the charity who concealed them, would be if the framed display were opened up to remove the jersey, at which time the second letter would present itself by falling out on the floor. This letter of authenticity was signed by the Executive Director of the MLB Players Association, Donald Fehr, a cleverly added second form of authenticity accompanying these authentic jerseys. And if that’s what happened with this jersey, why wasn't the second letter offered with it?

Possibly the owner of the real one doesn't know it even exist's? Or maybe because the one trying to dupe the collecting public, the owner of the real one or someone who has "handled" it, was able to make a lazer-jet copy of the letter from the League President, and pass if off as the real one without knowledge that this second letter exists?

This brings up a myriad of questions. Where is this second letter? Is it still with the original real Piazza '95 game worn All-Star jersey? Is this letter supposedly signed by Leonard S. Coleman a high-quality color lazer-jet copy of the original one still in the hands of the owner of the jersey who has both original letters? What did the consignor of the jersey to SCP Auctions know? Did the original owner of this bad auctioned-off jersey at some point realize he was duped, therefore quickly consign it with the only letter accompanying it, which is one-letter shy from complete and only a lazer-jet color copy of the real letter at that? Was the original seller of this bad jersey even aware there was a second letter, hence his failure to make a high quality lazer-jet copy of that one too?

Was the consignor even aware his jersey was no good? Of course that’s what he’ll claim when this likely circles back around to him.

So the owner of this $5K Mike Piazza jersey has a real mess on his hands. These types of things in the hobby tend to be. At least he can go into battle knowing the jersey he has is an impostor. In regards to the LOA's, the confusing "separation" issue of both, the possibly forgery of one with this jersey, etc., that's a whole other problem. I wish him luck in making the discovery early enough to have time to, at the very minimum, get his money back for a bad item.

Chris

sportsnbikes
12-01-2014, 12:29 AM
That's pretty messed up. Why don't these auction houses do their homework???? This one definitely wouldn't be difficult to match up or check really quickly since it's a high profile game.

metsbats
12-01-2014, 10:52 AM
http://www.lelands.com/auction/AuctionDetail/5922/August-2001/Sports/New-York-Mets/Lot531~1995-Mike-Piazza-All-Star-Game-Worn-Jersey

Check this out.

metsbats
12-01-2014, 10:57 AM
This SCP jersey is also missing the 2" extra length tagging which was found on 1995 Piazza jerseys. Cannot tell if the Lelands jersey has it.

heatrizing89
12-07-2014, 10:37 AM
thats some impressive investigative reporting right there

can the guy who bought it even get his money back after the fact without suing?