Nick Markakis GU Jersey - Help / Opinions

[silkman22]

I need help from the Forum members on the road grey Nick Markakis jersey I purchased from the Baltimore Orioles Team Store last night. I was looking through the dozen or so game used jerseys offered for sale when I found the Markakis jersey hung behind one of Aubrey Huff. It is a Majestic size 46 and everything about the jersey looks legit with the exception of the number; Markakis wears #21 and to my knowledge always has in his big league career. Nowhere can I find evidence that he has worn #27. The Orioles employee who helped me said that the jersey was definitely worn by Markakis at a time when another Oriole sported #21 (I assume the employee was talking about Sammy Sosa). It seems likely that the jersey is from 2005 as there are no patches on either of the sleeves. The wash tag (coded with the numbers RN53151 0062) shows wear as does the jersey, in general. The jersey has no MLB hologram as most of the other jerseys offered did, but the Orioles will be sending me a certificate attesting to it being game worn - a generic certicate, most likely.

Any thoughts on this jersey or photos / evidence of Markakis ever wearing #27? I'm fairly positive that is not a retail or custom made shirt. I could find no alterations or signs of a number / name changes. Everything about it seems identical to the game jerseys I have handled O's jerseys from the same era.

I've attempted to post photos but received a message saying the file size was too large. I will keep trying. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

JP

[trsent]

I need help from the Forum members on the road grey Nick Markakis jersey I purchased from the Baltimore Orioles Team Store last night. I was looking through the dozen or so game used jerseys offered for sale when I found the Markakis jersey hung behind one of Aubrey Huff. It is a Majestic size 46 and everything about the jersey looks legit with the exception of the number; Markakis wears #21 and to my knowledge always has in his big league career. Nowhere can I find evidence that he has worn #27. The Orioles employee who helped me said that the jersey was definitely worn by Markakis at a time when another Oriole sported #21 (I assume the employee was talking about Sammy Sosa). It seems likely that the jersey is from 2005 as there are no patches on either of the sleeves. The wash tag (coded with the numbers RN53151 0062) shows wear as does the jersey, in general. The jersey has no MLB hologram as most of the other jerseys offered did, but the Orioles will be sending me a certificate attesting to it being game worn - a generic certicate, most likely.

Any thoughts on this jersey or photos / evidence of Markakis ever wearing #27? I'm fairly positive that is not a retail or custom made shirt. I could find no alterations or signs of a number / name changes. Everything about it seems identical to the game jerseys I have handled O's jerseys from the same era.

I've attempted to post photos but received a message saying the file size was too large. I will keep trying. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

JP

Baseball Alamnac shows that Nick Markakis only wore #21, but they could have missed it also. They show Jaret Wright wearing #27 in 2007 and Bruce Chen in 2005 and 2006. Chen was with the team it appears the entire years 2005 and 2006.

[xpress34]

JP -

I cant help you on Makakis in particular, but if it helps, there are PLENTY of players who wore different numbers before they wore their current number with no record of the original number. As far as Bruce Chen shown to be wearing 27 in 2005 and 2006, Buddy Groom wore 27 in 2004 while Chen was wearing 64.

I don't know when Groom left the O's, but possibly Markakis was given his 27 first and THEN Chen might have wanted it - being a Veteran then.

I'm just saying, it happens. As an example, in 1990 on the Texas Rangers, Chad Krueter as wearing #7 and on the 1991 Roster he is still shown wearing #7 - so is Ivan Rodgriguez (his Rookie year). I use to own (and I HATE myself for EVER letting it go) one of Pudge's #55 jerseys (only 4 ever made - 2 home and 2 road) that he wore when he 1st came up with the Rangers (Krueter was still there until he became a Free Agent on Oct 15) before he took Krueter's #7. NO Record anywhere ever shows Pudge wearing #55 - like I said, even the Baseball Almanac show BOTH he and Krueter as #7 in 1991. The ONLY proof I have ever seen of Pudge in one of his #55 Home Whites is on his 1994 Kenner Starting Line Up Figure (his 1st Action Figure):

http://i13.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/fb/02/0bcc_1.JPG

See the card attached??? #55!!!

Unfortunately, you might have to search to find a pic of Markakis in the #27 jersey. Just trying to give you hope, that it does happen!!!

As has been stated many times here, most teams, players, etc aren't as anal about the details as we are as collectors!!!

All the best -

Chris

[ironmanfan]

This is ironic as I met (and later corresponded) with a gentleman who bought the SAME jersey at the Orioles store the day of Fan Fest....As I indicated on another post, Markakis wore #61 during ST in 2006 and only got #21 on Opening Day 2006 when he made the team & Fernando Tatis did not..It was later theorized that perhaps this jersey was made up in anticpation of a possible late season call up in 2005 for Markakis, however as mentioned Bruce Chen wore #27 the ENTIRE '05 season (including five starts in Septemeber). It was left that someone was going to ask Markakis himself (a member of the media) what he knew about it, but it now appears as if this jersey was returned to the store (unless there are TWO grey # 27 out there)....

[BergerKing22784]

The Orioles really make me mad with their "game used items." I've got maybe 3 or 4 "game used" Orioles jerseys and I would like to say at least 3 of them you have to look very hard to look for anything that shows signs of any use what so ever.

The Orioles use no sort of strip tagging to identify their jersey sets or anything. This was my first year going to Orioles fanfest since I really started collecting game used items and they had tables and piles of what was advertised as "game used jerseys." I am not sure if there were any big names that were picked through by the time I actually went to look to see what they had but they had dozens of some players and finding one with any use was pretty hard. I ended up buying a Jay Gibbons one with a few loose strings and a small stain or two so I am hoping that means it really was game used.


Anyway my point being is I think the Orioles love the profits possible by selling game used items but I dont think they are willing to do the hard work in authentication that us collecors expect from the teams who sell these "game used items" So I hate to make you wonder about your jersey and I hope you find the answers your looking for and I look forward to finding your results as it will help me rest easier on my 3 or 4 Orioles jerseys that I have and hopes that they really are "game used" and are not just game issued that they made for the players that were never used.

I know we have a former Orioles bat boy on this forum maybe he can shed some light on the Orioles. Do they go through lots of jerseys in a year?

[orioles03]

The Orioles really make me mad with their "game used items." I've got maybe 3 or 4 "game used" Orioles jerseys and I would like to say at least 3 of them you have to look very hard to look for anything that shows signs of any use what so ever.

The Orioles use no sort of strip tagging to identify their jersey sets or anything. This was my first year going to Orioles fanfest since I really started collecting game used items and they had tables and piles of what was advertised as "game used jerseys." I am not sure if there were any big names that were picked through by the time I actually went to look to see what they had but they had dozens of some players and finding one with any use was pretty hard. I ended up buying a Jay Gibbons one with a few loose strings and a small stain or two so I am hoping that means it really was game used.


Anyway my point being is I think the Orioles love the profits possible by selling game used items but I dont think they are willing to do the hard work in authentication that us collecors expect from the teams who sell these "game used items" So I hate to make you wonder about your jersey and I hope you find the answers your looking for and I look forward to finding your results as it will help me rest easier on my 3 or 4 Orioles jerseys that I have and hopes that they really are "game used" and are not just game issued that they made for the players that were never used.

I know we have a former Orioles bat boy on this forum maybe he can shed some light on the Orioles. Do they go through lots of jerseys in a year?
depends on the player tejada,palmeiro ,javy lopez ,gibbons the stars had tons of jerseys daniel cabera had a diffrent jersey every game .tejada had a whole extra equipment bag full of jerseys and pants .so i guess it really depends on the player the orioles are one of the cheapest teams in baseball they do not like giving the players anything extra. as for the markakis jersey who knows he was never number 27 and was never issued 27 what year is the jersey from. i do remember majestic sent tejada a jersey with #4 on it in 2005 and #4 is retired so it could have been a mistake on majestics part