Players do not always know the specs of their own equipment. What are your examples?

[VERIS#60]

Often, we as collectors rely too heavily on asking players the specs of their equipment. Many times the players themselves are unaware of certain details including simple things such as size and numbers. I will give three examples of conversations I've had. Dave Juenger played with the Chicago Bears in 1973. I found a guu member that had one of his jerseys with the number 84 on it. I called him up and asked him if he ever wore #84. He told me he never wore that number. He said he wore #16 in 73 and #38 in the preseason of 74 before being released. I was not convinced after seeing pics of the #84 jersey with his name on the back. After purchasing a preseason program I found he was listed as #16. Then I bought a program halfway through the season and he was listed as #84. Shortly after that I found a 1973 Bears team photo and he was in the front row in #84. Even though he himself told me he never wore that number in the one and only NFL season he ever played in. I asked John Herrnstein(Phillies 1962-66) if he ever remembered seeing his name chain stitched into his jerseys and he told me he didn't. Surprisingly, he remembered his numbers, but not sizes. After I purchased a jersey he wore in 1963 that he hit his first major league homerun in, he remembered the names in the back of the neckline. Ironically, that jersey had Marcelino lopez's name in it and not his own. He said he could not remember his name in any of his jerseys. Garin Veris played for the New England Patriots from 1985-91. Three years ago I showed a game used helmet he wore in 1986 that I had just purchased. The helmet stripes had been replaced probably numerous times from slightly above the numbers on the back to the front. He told me he remembered wearing that particular helmet, but the team didn't replace the stripes. When I asked him why, he told me because they were a slightly different color red. I told him they often replaced them because they had hit marks on them and wanted the helmets to look nice. He still insisted the team never did that, but could not clearly explain why someone other than the team would do this. The modern era players are younger and more cognizant of their game used equipment specs. They have been asked by fans and friends collecting their items about certain specs. The value of these items has drawn more attention to these pieces. The older players were most likely rarely or never asked their specs. Now, years later we as collectors want to put a lot of credibility in what they tell us. In those days they just cared about going out and playing to win games. If I remember right, Emmett Smith was one of the first players to have it written in his contract to keep most of his items. Don't always think what a player tells you is the gospel. To put this to the test, I still have my high school basketball jersey. I have no idea what size I wore then, so I guessed. I was two sizes off. What examples do you guys have and know that the players are wrong? Bruce

[gobills123]

I have a Jim Kelly 1987 Bills jersey with a built in hand warmer.
One of the times I met him, I brought it along to be signed.
He said "wow, thats an old one.. but its got to be a Ferguson"
I said I really think its yours and he replied that it couldnt be because he always wore the muff (Bills handwarmer). I didnt want to correct him so I was polite and agreed. Later, I got a moment with his handler and showed him a few pictures of Kelly wearing a/the handwarmer jersey. He laughed and said Jim had to see it.
Once Kelly returned, his guy called me over to show Jim and he got a big smile on his face and said I should have bet him because he'd have argued all day he never wore one like that. Since we were on the topic of jerseys etc, I asked (because I had always wondered) why he changed to the big/long q/b facemask for a period of time in 87/88 and he said it was for protection because his jaw had gotten messed up from a hit and as soon as he was cleared to go back to the normal one he did because he couldnt turn his head and had a lower range of motion with the longer one. It couldnt have hurt him much though as he went to the Pro Bowl that year!!! I found the whole thing funny, got to ham it up with my hero, and had some long burning questions answered as well :)

[VERIS#60]

Wow, that is an awesome story! Especially, since Kelly was one of your favorite players. The players number one concern is to play at a high level. Nice example that paying attention to their specs are further down the line. I think they truly want to know and Becky knowledgeable and helpful to us, but are wrong in many cases. Thanks for sharing a nice story!

[VERIS#60]

Sorry about the stupid auto correct. Often course, Becky was not supposed to be in there. Lol

[SEAFAN76]

When I handed Robert Turbin his GAME USED road jersey to sign, he was all, "That's a pretty nice quality jersey"........
I told him, "UH, YEAH, it's YOUR game used jersey". He had no clue.
They don't really handle their jerseys very often. Seattle, and I assume most teams, put the jersey ON the shoulder pads before they even arrive. Then they put THAT on. So unless they get it after the game, or take it off the pads to exchange it with another player, they don't handle them much.

[VERIS#60]

That is too funny that Turbin didn't know he was looking at one of his game used jerseys. Every player has different knowledge of their items. Most could care less, especially the older generation. The equipment managers handle the items more than anyone. In the old days, if a player was with the same team very long, the just went off the previous years sizes. Lots of odd things happened with sizes. The bad thing is if it is not a players normal size, everyone wants to question the authenticity of the item. They immediately stay away from buying or bidding if it's in an auction. If a size is way off, I understand.

[Dewey2007]

I used to have a pair of Marcus Allen cleats from his rookie year that I believe were wore during the preseason. I had him sign them at a show a few years back. He looked at them very suspiciously which I had heard he does with a lot of his stuff anyhow. I told him the story of how I used to go to the team's training camp, in Alameda, CA where I live, all the time his rookie year of '82 and that he gave the cleats to me. He said he didn't remember but he did remember the story of the time he gave my friend a holiday ham the team had given him on his way to his car. The cleats had black shoelaces and his #32 inked on the back of the shoes. He claimed he never wore black shoe laces but signed them for me anyhow. I of course found a preseason photo of him wearing a pair of Puma cleats with black shoelaces that style-matched the exact cleats I had him sign.

[VERIS#60]

Another amazing story, Marcus Allen said he never wore black shoelaces. Photos verify the contrary. It is not like Allen played in the 50's or 60's either. But yet, he remembered giving away a ham? Simply amazing. If you had a potential buyer for those cleats and Allen told him what he told you, he would back out of the deal and say they were fake. Thank God for photographers and photos! Thanks for everyone sharing these stories!

[sox83cubs84]

My favorite has to be a friend's experience with a mid-1970s Goodman Angels home jersey of 1B Bruce Bochte.

My buddy showed him the jersey while he was with the Mariners, and he said it wasn't his, since "When I was with the Angels, we wore button fronts (mine was apullover).

The thing is, the Angels wore only pullover jersey from 1973 through the late 1980s, a period which contains Bochte's entire (not just Angels MLB career!:rolleyes:

Dave Miedema

[VERIS#60]

My favorite has to be a friend's experience with a mid-1970s Goodman Angels home jersey of 1B Bruce Bochte.

My buddy showed him the jersey while he was with the Mariners, and he said it wasn't his, since "When I was with the Angels, we wore button fronts (mine was apullover).

The thing is, the Angels wore only pullover jersey from 1973 through the late 1980s, a period which contains Bochte's entire (not just Angels MLB career!:rolleyes:

Dave Miedema

Dave, another great example of why we shouldn't believe everything a player tells us. Most went to their locker, put on their uniform and played the game they were paid to do. Thanks for sharing!