This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/1/2015
1979 was a transition year for the Phillies, a transition that would lead to a World Championship the next year, 1980. Pete Rose joined the team, igniting the Phillies towards winning a Worlds Championship. Injuries stalled the 1979 team, and Dallas Green became the new manager. The changes worked and the rest is history.
Mike Schmidt continued to be the anchor of the team. Offered for this lot is an ultra rare, complete, MEARS A10 uniform.
Size: The jersey is tagged as and measures as a size 44. This was confirmed both through measurement across the chest and comparing it with various period on hand Wilson products in sizes 40, 42, and 44 (including Phillies home and road jerseys). The sizing is also consistent with period Schmidt knits up to this point in his career. As such I would consider this to be an appropriate sized jersey for Mike Schmidt. With this jersey are a pair of Phillies home pants with a custom waist of 35” and 21” inseam. These are both true sizes as measured. This is consistent with a pair of 1981 home Mike Schmidt pants in my data base. As such, I would offer that they too are an appropriate size for Schmidt based on 1979 sizing data from “Who’s Who in Baseball”; 6’, 2”; 195lbs.
Manufacturers Tagging: The jersey features a c 1979-1984 style Wilson tag. The supplemental tagging for player (SCHMIDT) and year/set (79/1) have been chain stitched onto knit swatches and affixed in the collar and lower left front tail respectively. All of this is period, team, and manufacturer appropriate and consistent with on hand and data base exemplars. (PLATE I) Great attention was given to the tagging during the inspection to ensure it did not show signs of or evidence of contrived post manufacturer application. Although not widely known in the hobby/industry, major league quality customer specified sized (36-48) home and road Phillies uniforms manufactured by Wilson were available for retail sale at this time. (PLATE II) My assessment is that this tagging is original to the garment and appropriate.
Construction/Style: The jersey is constructed with a zipper closure and Raglan sleeves. The name SCHMIDT is affixed to the rear of the jersey with a closely cropped name plate. All of this is period, team, and manufacturer appropriate and supported by period examples and contemporary photographs. The zipper closer is brass in color and manufactured by Talon. Period images will confirm the presence of both style zippers. All alpha-numeric fonts are also consistent with period images. (PLATES III-IV)
Use/Wear: The jersey shows signs of moderate use and wear. Surface wear to the body of the garment as well as the surface wear to the twill fabric used for the lettering and numbering is even and consistent throughout. The pants show slightly lighter use and wear than the jersey, but no to the point where they do not display well as a set. I found nothing to suggest or indicate that the use and wear on this jersey and or pants is contrived.
Opinion: In my opinion this jersey possesses all of characteristics I would expect to see in a jersey manufactured in 1979 by Wilson for use and wear by Mike Schmidt. It is assessed as being all original, with moderate use and displaying no signs of contrived application, use or wear. I found no reasons to deduct points, and as such this jersey bearing the MEARS hologram # 313592 is assigned the grade of A10. Pants are not graded, but only deemed as AUTHENTIC per the MEARS grading criteria. Evaluation by Dave Grob, MEARS(74B9999)
Enclosures: PLATES I-IV