MEARS Auction #170, Ends Saturday, December 3rd, 2022, 10:00 PM CST W/30-Minute Rule In Effect

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Lot #15:

1994-95 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles Signed Rawlings Professional Model Glove - Factory Recorded (MEARS LOA/JSA)

Offered is an embroidered Rawlings Pro-6 HF fielder's glove for a right handed thrower. On the thumb is embroidered "Cal Ripken Jr." in black. Glove shows tremendous game wear. We contacted Bob Clevenhagen at Rawlings who was involved in the manufacture of this glove. He writes : We started the embroidery in 94. The dot was there after the Jr. For retail, I put 2 dots but we had no place to put the date code and there was no need to be concerned about a warranty issue on a players glove so we didn't worry about the dots. The first couple of years I had the embroidery done on the outside so might be able to date from that." In addition, Bob writes: "One of the first, probably 94 or 95. As I still have my original embroidery machine and it doesn't have the letter "C". Very likely his glove as we were not even close to producing them for retail."

The glove originated from Elrod Hendricks to the consignor. Game wear is incredible and we have supplied numerous photographs of Cal wearing this exact style glove with his finger through the Fastback hole that now has a ton of wear. We showed this glove to Cal and he states it was a model made for him but insists that he has all of his game gloves. We are not about to argue this point with Cal but it is his model glove, made especially for him, with a letter from the manufacturer and shows heavy game wear along with photos of him wearing this exact model glove. We can prove it is a specially made glove expressly manufactured for Cal. As to whether Cal has each and every glove sent and used by him from this era, that is his call. This glove sure shows a seasons worth of wear and is perfectly broken in. Given that almost no professional model gloves of Cal's have hit the market given that he has been keeping them, this is a very rare opportunity to get a game model glove made exclusively for Cal by Rawlings in 1994-95. Slightly faded blue marker signature and "HOF 2007" inscription also present. (68R0208)

LOA Troy Kinunen / MEARS

(JSA Auction Letter)