Offered for our November 2010 auction, we are proud to present a collection consisting of Steve Carlton's 1978 Phillies home jersey, Wilson cap, and personal undershirt.
When Steve Carlton walked away from the game in 1988 enroute to Cooperstown, he left behind far more than 329 wins, 4,136 strikeouts, and four Cy Young Awards. He walked away from those who have offered that starting pitchers aren’t that special in that they only affect their team one out of every four to five games. While true at face value, “Lefty” was much more than that for the Phillies. Carlton proved this in his first year after coming over from the Cardinals in 1972 when he went 27-10. His efforts alone accounted for just under half of the wins the Phillies took home that year. Steve Carlton defined the notion of the impact player. Presented here is a jersey that will certainly have a stand-alone impact on any collection it resides in.
Commentary and Summary of Observations for This Jersey
Comparative Sizing Data for Steve Carlton in 1978 (PLATE IV)
Period Street and Smith Data:
1974 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 5”; 210 lbs
1975 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 5”; 210 lbs
1978 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 5”; 210 lbs
1979 Street & Smith Yearbook: 6’, 5”; 210 lbs
MEARS Data Base for Steve Carlton:
1974 Road, Phillies, Wilson: Size 46
1975 Home, Phillies, Wilson: Size 46
1978 Home, Phillies, Wilson: Size 46 (Offered Jersey)
1979 Home, Phillies, Wilson: Size 46
The offered jersey was compared to an on-hand 1976 Phillies road jersey (size 46). While both jerseys were consistent with the measurement at the chest (sizing basis), the Carlton jersey features a longer torso measurement. Period Wilson products can be found with extra length in the tail without annotations for extra length and MEARS has on hand common exemplars to support this observation. This actually bodes well for the jersey with Steve Carlton being listed as 6’, 5” in height.
Tagging: The jersey features a period appropriate Wilson manufacturers tag (c 1974-1978) and the supplemental identification for year and set is also consistent with period Wilson products. (PLATE III)
Nameplate: The plate appears to original to the jersey and the use and wear for the lettering for “CARLTON” is consistent with that of the maroon twill fabric of both the numerals (front & back) as well and “P” logo on the front. The font style of the lettering and crop/placement of the nameplate also appear to be appropriate. (PLATE II)
Use and Wear: Use and wear are assessed as being light to moderate. Carlton appeared in 34 game for the Phillies in 1978 and was on the roster for the entire season. The use and wear to all fabrics is even and consistent. The rear collar area, when viewed under UV lighting, shows light signs of soiling/staining. The Talon zipper is original to the jersey and fully functional.
Also included in this lot is a 1976 era Steve Carlton Phillies Wilson size 7 1/8. Game worn cap (CARLTON 6/76 written in headband), Phillies Champion undershirt 32, XL.
NOTE: There is a reserve on this lot. The estimate for this lot is between $11,500 - $15,000. The reserve is below that estimate.