Auction Item Details
Lot 546
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Lot Number: 546
Description: 1957 Ted Williams auto. Boston Red Sox professional model home jersey. In a playing career that spanned four decades with the Red Sox, and was interrupted by two military tours of duty that cost him nearly five full seasons, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound "Splendid Splinter" amassed an average of .344 with 521 home runs, 1,839 RBI, 2,019 walks, a slugging percentage of .634 that remains second to only Babe Ruth's .690, and an on-base percentage of .483 that is second to no one. This jersey dates from the 1957 season, when Williams, at the age of 38, was still at the peak of his powers. That season, the veteran Williams vied for the batting crown in a season long battle with a young Mickey Mantle. In the end, Williams held off the surging Mantle, finishing the season with a .388 average versus Mantle's .365. Additionally, Williams slugged .731, and hit 38 home runs in only 420 official at bats. It was a remarkable season by the greatest hitter of his, or possibly any, generation. The offered jersey dates to Williams' prolific 1957 season. The cream colored flannel shirt remains completely original and unaltered, featuring red piping, original "Red Sox" lettering across the front, and Ted's original number "9" on back. Tim McAuliffe manufacturer's tag appears on the front tail with adjacent flag tag noting "Set 1 1957". A felt strip tag above features Ted's last name "Williams" in red embroidered lettering. The overall condition of the jersey is spectacular with solid evidence of game use and no significant structural faults. The only condition issue worth mentioning is some slight fraying and separation to the red piping on the back of the collar. Williams has added a larger signature above the number on the back of the jersey in bold black marker. Signature rates 9 out of 10. The jersey originates from a longtime Massachusetts area collector. As a young boy with bronchial asthma, he received regular treatment from two chiropractors over the course of three years. He hated going, but never missed an appointment. As a reward, the chiropractors took him to a Red Sox game after his first year. The second year, they gave him a baseball signed by the 1956 Red Sox. For Christmas the third year, in 1957, they gave him the Ted Williams jersey. The chiropractors had treated Ted Williams for his back after he had crashed in the Korean War as a pilot. The consignor was 11 years old at the time and has kept the jersey in his possession until its current offering. All told, the jersey displays gloriously, and surely ranks amongst the finest garments ever to emerge from the confines of Fenway Park. Includes letter of provenance from original recipient, and LOAs from Hunt Auctions (jersey) and JSA (auto.): EXEstimated Price Range: ($40,000-$50,000)
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