March 19, 2020: Spring Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/19/2020
Offered is a remarkable artifact that hints of even greater deeds and lineage: a game-worn Mickey Lolich Detroit Tigers home uniform that reveals clues suggesting probable use in the epic World Series that rocked the Motor City that fateful fall. It was the last World Series in the pre Divisional Playoff era, when the AL Champion Tigers faced off against the NL powerhouse Cardinals, who were appearing in the Fall Classic for the third time in five years. It was hyped as a battle between 31-game winner Denny McLain and the great Bob Gibson, coming off the finest season of his legendary career. And somewhere along the way the script flipped and the leading man became Mickey Lolich. With embroidered team tagging of “1968 Set 3” beneath the Wilson Size 44 label on the front-left tail, the cream-colored beauty boasts all the hallmarks of having been part of that historic Series when Lolich won three complete games and bested the Hall of Famer Gibson in Game Seven, nailing down his Series MVP status. With Set 3 typically denoting postseason apparel, it’s intriguing to postulate what stories this jersey and pants combo might be withholding. Absent any precise photo matching to the World Series, the uniform has nonetheless been examined by authenticators that effectively preclude its use in the regular season, again suggesting with its clear game wear of World Series lineage. As noted, the jersey is nothing short of superb, with proper tagging and venting at the sleeves and minimal fraying of the delicate navy blue stitching with the old English “D” on the front or Lolich’s No. 29 on the back. To an even greater degree than the jersey, the pants show considerable game use and have Wilson labeling across the waist with “39P” and “37W” written in marker directly on the label. A team tag with embroidered “29-25 Set 3, 1968” is affixed alongside the Wilson label. John Robinson of Resolution Photomatching concluded, "We completed research on the Mickey Lolich 1968 jersey, and unfortunately a conclusive photomatch could not be made. We made non-matches to a number of images from the regular season based on the front alignment, but the alignment did look approximately correct in the World Series game...Unfortunately though, no image was clear enough to see anything conclusive from the World Series game."
Mickey Lolich 1968 Game-Used Detroit Tigers Postseason Set 3 Home Flannel Jersey & Pants
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