1997 McGwire helmet on AMI

[whatupyos]

Forum Members:

http://www.americanmemorabilia.com/Auction_Item.asp?Auction_ID=42091

Anyone care to comment on this? 1991 date code wheel????? How can this be attributed to Mac using it? Or 1997? Couldn't at least one or two other players have used this helmet during the 6 year time frame other than Mac. Any thoughts?

Aaron

[bigtruck260]

Again,

I am dying to know exactly who this Well known Cards expert is.

I know Jeff Scott and Rob Steinmetz are more knowledgable than most, and the only other person I can think of that would call himself an expert is a guy who has been mentioned around here quite a bit lately.

Is there any chance that AMI would accept consignments from one of its "expert authenticators"?

Dave

[skyking26]

Howard: Where are you at with the helmet? I know you have a comment??

[Birdbats]

The McGwire helmet looks consistent in style with the 1997 photos below. Whether it's a photo match is tougher to determine. The size also is consistent with McGwire. It's entirely possible the team was still using helmets made in 1991 by the time McGwire joined the Cards in 1997. Other players could have used it from 1992-1997, but that doesn't change the fact that McGwire could have worn it in 1997.

http://cache3.gettyimages.com/xc/1785467.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939057D9939C83F106B53A6FD0806E13AB E30A760B0D811297
http://cache1.gettyimages.com/xc/51652099.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=AE5E3E7DB8E3141719D3E1F46DD7CA6D284831B75F48EF45

[skyking26]

While it is conceivable that a team would carry a helmet 6 years, alot is being read into this without clear documentation regarding who the contact or authenticator is? How do we know this is not the Cards Tim Hulett's helmet? Any big money piece like this should have questions answered early on...

[hblakewolf]

The McGwire helmet looks consistent in style with the 1997 photos below. Whether it's a photo match is tougher to determine. The size also is consistent with McGwire. It's entirely possible the team was still using helmets made in 1991 by the time McGwire joined the Cards in 1997. Other players could have used it from 1992-1997, but that doesn't change the fact that McGwire could have worn it in 1997.

http://cache3.gettyimages.com/xc/1785467.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939057D9939C83F106B53A6FD0806E13AB E30A760B0D811297
http://cache1.gettyimages.com/xc/51652099.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=AE5E3E7DB8E3141719D3E1F46DD7CA6D284831B75F48EF45 \

Jeff-
What are the cosmetic differences (if any) between a 1995 Cards road helmet and this one that's worn in 1997? Would a 1995 helmet have any differences in terms of the number placemet on the front/back, ABC logo on back, etc.?

Thanks.

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

[Birdbats]

Howard, my knowledge of batting helmet "cosmetics" is pretty limited. Haven't done much research into it; my focus has been on bats and jerseys. This era is particularly tough because the team was bad in the mid '90s and it's hard to find many photos. It's also a period where I have a gap in my yearbook collection.

It seems that helmets looked the same in '96 at least, possibly earlier. I founds shots from '92 and '93 where it looks like the players had Dymo tape on the bills. The switch to numbers must have happened in '94 or '95. I don't have any good photos of a helmet back from '93-'95 to see the manufacturer logo, flag, etc.

There were six people who wore #25 between when the helmet was made and when McGwire joined the team. George Hendrick was a coach, so he's out. Milt Thompson was left handed, so he's out. Gregg Jefferies, David Bell and Ramon Caraballo all were righties or switch hitters, but all were relatively small -- between 5'7" and 5'10" and 150-185 pounds. I'd be surprised if any of them wore a 7 5/8 helmet, though it's possible. Tim Hulett was the only right-handed "big" guy before Mac -- he was 6', 195.

With this as background, there's no way to know if the helmet at auction definitely was worn by McGwire. Given the size and the style match, it's certainly possible the helmet is authentic. I suppose it's also possible that Tim Hulett (or someone else) wore it. More explanation, documentation or photos from AMI would be useful. Back to the original post, though, there's no reason to question its authenticity based solely on the manufacture date or the style.

If anyone has good shots of Cardinals road helmets from 1993-1995, please post them.