This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/5/2015
As a member of the Big Red Machine’s 1976 World Championship team, George Foster was a stellar left fielder for this fabled dynasty. A big contributor to the success of the team. For the regular season Foster batted .306, belted 29 homeruns, and tallied 121 RBI’s. For the post season, he hit 2 HR’s for the NLCS and batted .429 to give the Reds the World Series title. The MEARS Evaluation determined:
Style: Gray knit pull over with red/white cuffed sleeves and mitered V neck collar. Round tail. “CINCINNATI” is applied to the front in red single block letter tackle twill. Uniform number is also found on front and back with red single tackle twill block lettering. “FOSTER” appears in simple red block sewn directly onto the shirt. The style is correct for 1976 as supported by additional examples that have entered the hobby and available images.
Manufacturer (Wilson): Per the MEARS tagging database (Grob), the style of the Wilson tag (1974-78) is correct for 1976 Reds shirts.
Dating 1976: Although no year tag is present, we date this shirt to the 1976 season based on the outline of the National League Centennial patch on the right sleeve. Dave Grob has recorded a Pat Zachary Reds shirt with the Wilson tag on inside tail. No year set tag.
Size (42): The actual measurements of the shirt compare favorably to the Wilson tagging. Size 42 is correct for George Foster during the era. Additional examples that have entered the hobby and are sued for comparison include:
1979 size 42
1977 size 42
Therefore size 42 is established as being correct for George Foster during the era.
Game Use: Jersey exhibits heavy game wear. Visible puckering to the numbering and lettering.
Patch: Although missing, the outline of the National League Centennial patch is still visible.
Final Grade MEARS A9: One point was deducted from the perfect 10 score due to the missing patch.
(76D0144)