Change is never easy, but this change from the Colt 45’s to the Houston Astros has always been easy on the eyes for collectors. “Shooting Star” flannels are one of the more attractive and sought after designs of the 1960s expansion era. Although added later for extended organizational use and wear, the color contrast of the 1969 Major League Baseball 100th Anniversary Patch is striking against the orange.
Player Attribution and Dating. The jersey is dated originally to 1965 by the combination of style of jersey, style of Wilson manufacturers tag (c 1957-1966) and the presence of supplemental year and set identification chain stitched into the lower left front tail “65-2”. There is no form of supplemental player identification and none should be expected. The jersey features the number 34 on the back and in 1965, this was the roster number for pitcher Ken MacKenzie. The current number 34 is not original to the jersey. Because of a slight offset in the current numbering as opposed to the trace outlines of the original numbering, it is very possible that 34 was in fact the original number placed on this jersey. The 1965 Street & Smith Yearbook lists MacKenzie at 6’, 185 lbs. As such, I would expect to find one of jerseys in the size 40-42 range. The jersey also features a MLB 100th Anniversary patch on the left sleeve. This presence of this patch suggests extended organizational use through spring training 1969 . Extended organizational use is also suggested by the presence of the name or word “BUS” hand written in vintage laundry pen in the bottom portion of the left front interior button line. As such it is not possible to identify the jersey to a single player or single year.
Construction: The jersey is constructed of a period appropriate 4 oz professional grade wool flannel blend fabric. Sleeve cut is Set-In which is also team/period appropriate. The embroidered shooting star ASTROS across the front is also year appropriate since the 1964 Houston home jerseys still featured the Colt .45 logo and naming convention.
Use and Wear: The jersey features signs of moderate use and wear with even and consistent surface wear to most fabrics. I say most because of the previously mentioned number change as well as the wear to the MLB 100th Anniversary patch on the left sleeve. While this patch is a period correct original offering, it does appear that it has been reapplied to this jersey. I base this off of the amount of wear to this patch as opposed to the rest of the jersey as well as the manner in which it has been applied (stitching and outline of previous patch that is slightly offset).
Opinion: This jersey possess all of the characteristics that I would expect to find in a Wilson product provided for use and wear by the Houston Astros in 1965 and one that likely saw extended organizational use through spring training in 1969. While Cesar Geronimo did wear #34 for the Astros in 1969 and the jersey would be an appropriate size for him as well (6’, 2”, 164 lbs), I do not attribute this jersey to him anymore than I would any other similar sized player based on the aforementioned number change and patch replacement.
The MEARS grading criteria for pre-1988 jerseys begins with a base grade of 10 and five categories for deductions. I found these reasons to deduct points from this jersey.
Category IV: -3 Use by more than one player
-2 Restoration of both the rear numerals and the 1969 MLB 100th Anniversary Patch.
As such the final grade for this jersey bearing the MEARS hologram # 311413 is A5.