1989 Hall of Fame patch?

[kingjammy24]

can anyone shed some light on this Hall of Fame patch? (why it was worn, by whom, etc)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190350125637

i can't figure it out. i thought it might've been for the annual Hall of Fame Game but in 1989, the Pirates didn't play in the HOF Game. according to the HOF itself:

"Plane Malfunction Creates Split-Squad Game, July 24, 1989
The game scheduled between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds was cancelled. The Reds, who had just been swept in a four-game series in Montreal, encountered problems with the airplane's hydraulic system before getting off the ground in Montreal. Instead, the Red Sox played a split-squad game: Boston versus the "Yastrzemskis," in honor of Carl Yastrzemski, who had been inducted a day earlier. The two teams played even ball, tying at 4-4 in a seven inning game. Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Nick Esasky and current Indians manager (then Red Sox catcher) Eric Wedge all hit home runs. Wedge joined the team after winning the NCAA Baseball tournament as a member of the Wichita State team, the previous month. Al Bumbry, a Red Sox coach at the time and four years retired, was 2-for-3 with a stolen base."

i've never seen that patch on any other 1989 jerseys.

rudy.

[emann]

Getty image: #53510735

Gary Redus has the patch on his 1989 Pirates jersey also.

No idea why this patch would be on some jerseys and not all.

I'm fairly certain that the Hall of Fame games didn't have game specific patches on the player jerseys. I went to a couple during that era including the 1989 one which was cancelled as you posted between the Reds (for Johnny Bench) and the Red Sox (for Yaz)

[kingjammy24]

nice find.

i just counted the 1989 jerseys in my photo library and there's an even 100. (admittedly they're all AL jerseys). they're all from various teams yet not a single one has this HOF patch. very odd. considering its a HOF patch you'd think it would've been worn across the MLB. i must've seen dozens more photos from 1989 and never saw that patch before. crazy.

rudy.

[sox83cubs84]

Rudy:

I don't have it accessible, but the 1990 Donruss card of Pirates catcher Mike Lavalliere shows him with this patch, also.

Dave M.
Chicago area

[5kRunner]

Rudy:

I don't have it accessible, but the 1990 Donruss card of Pirates catcher Mike Lavalliere shows him with this patch, also.

Dave M.
Chicago area

http://www.webstore.com/thumbnail.php?pic=uplimg/img_1012614_006884fb323a394d19f2354060674971.jpg&w=500&sq=Y&b=Y

[kingjammy24]

so the big question becomes were the pirates the only team in 1989 to sport that patch? i can say i don't recall any AL team sporting it.

why would it be pirates exclusive?

rudy.

[kingjammy24]

i think thats the craziest patch i've ever seen. the pirates didn't play in the HOF game and no pirates were inducted in the HOF in 1989. yet they seem to be the only team in the majors that sported a patch celebrating the anniversary of the HOF? loony tunes.

rudy.

[flaco1801]

rudy before i opened the ebay linked i was about to type the pirates were the only team i remember using the patch.. i just wanted to make sure the link was the same patch... i just remember only the pirates wearing that patch that year...