Often you will see uniforms described as a “rare one year style”, but if this is truly the case, then what can be said about the rarity and value of a “one game style?” On 19 May 1979, the Philadelphia Phillies took the field wearing this blood red matched top and bottom and where subsequently slaughtered 10-5 by the Montreal Expos. Initial responses on these togs from the players, fans and photographers was overwhelmingly negative. The next day, team publicity director Larry Shenk announced with a smile that the team would continue to wear the “Saturday Night Specials” until the team lost two in a row in them.
The Phillies opted not to wait for a second showcase. By May 25th, Shenk was back in the papers saying that the team had opted to discontinue the use of the uniforms because he said they “caused problems for the photographers” and “they ran a bit big, they did not fit the players too well.”
Presented by MEARS Auctions is your chance to land what is arguably one of the rarest uniforms of the knit era, if not in all baseball history. With less than five known examples out there, there can only be a select few collections that will ever be able to boast as having one. The last one of these to come on the market sold for just under $6,000 in September of 2011. That offering, also a matched set jersey and pants, did not include a cap from the game as this lot does.
Regardless of the comments of Mr. Shenk back in 1979, this uniform photographs extremely well and is a perfect fit for any serious and advanced collection of major league uniforms of the 20th Century.
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(MEARS LOA)