Griffey Jr. Rookie Jersey's

[Griffey fan]

I have Ken Griffey Jr's "1989 Set 1" rookie jersey. I purchased it from Mill Creek Sports Cards and they got it from the Mariners. It is a size 46 and has 2 inches extra length.
I see that Grey Flannel has a Griffey rookie "1989 Set 1" jersey in their Dec. 9, 2015 auction right now. It is a size 44 and regular length.
I spoke with Grey Flannel about this and I was told players order more than one jersey at a time and there was probably several Set 1 (order 1) jerseys.
I don't understand why they are different sizes and different lengths.
Can someone shed some light on this for me please?

Here are photos of the jersey I have.

[lengthwise1]

Does the GF one have a signature? Then i bet its a scoreboard jersey

[KGoldin]

It is not just 'Score Board'
from the period beginning approx. 1988 thru the end of the Rawlings era of making jerseys, ANY company or individual who supplied RAWLINGS with a SIGNED LETTER FROM THE PLAYER could order their jerseys, TAGGED with year dates.
In addition, Rawlings would let you go back in time.
FOR EXAMPLE. all Score Board ordered KEN GRIFFEY JR jerseys that were dated 1989 with 1989 year tags, were actually ORDERED in 1990. That is why they all have the 3 line tag that Rawlings started in 1990, as opposed to the 5 line tag that has the words 'DO NOT USE AUTOMATIC DRYER' that was used in 1989 and 1988.

This is how you see other jerseys that are referred to as 'Score Board style' jerseys, but were of players NEVER under contract to score board (such as Gregg Jefferies)

in 1990 Score Board ordered 1989 dated jerseys of a multitude of players, including Griffey jr, Will Clark, Nolan Ryan, and Bo Jackson.

Score Board WAS NOT UNIQUE in their ability to order tagged and year dated jersey, and ANYONE who took the time to get the players authorization, and waited for delivery could do the same. Score Board marketed ALL of their signed jerseys as 'Signed and not game used"

I am confident that many people have bought and sold jerseys as 'game used' (either by accident or to be deceitful )that were originated from a source that simply ordered the jerseys from Rawlings. This is why MEARS will not authenticate any post 1986 baseball jerseys with a grade above A-5 without provenance. the TELLTALE sign is if it has the 3 line wash code instead of the 5 line wash code then it was ordered in 1990 (OR LATER).

[danesei@yahoo.com]

So, in the context of what Ken posted, the Grey Flannel jersey is a replica/marketing jersey, and definitely not a gamer, since it has the three-line version of the Rawlings tag.

[sox83cubs84]

Another problem area to be aware of, tags aside, are rookie year Junior jerseys that have a plated NOB of GRIFFEY JR. I've never seen a same photo of The Kid with a JR. suffix in the NOB.

Dave Miedema

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Dave, is it possible for you to contact GF?

They're insisting it's legit:

https://greyflannelauctions.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/auc45_griffeypm.jpg

[lund6771]

Why assume the GF jersey is only for marketing/retail?....the jersey is clearly a photo match to the photo shoot of the 2 Griffeys....Getty has the image dated in July of 1989 and the jersey is tagged that way....I sure would assume the same thing that GF did

Griffey SR didn't join the mariners until middle of the 1990 season....maybe the getty image is from July 1990 since SR is pictured in a Reds uniform...if the wash instructions on the tag have to be ONLY from 1990 and later, maybe there was an error made at manufacturing on the jerseys set tag along with the date of the getty image?...and maybe this jersey was used in 1990?...Getty surely is well known for making errors in their image dating

Here is an image that may be the jersey and the image is from 1990 based on the bat lettering....image isn't clear enough to make it a conclusive photo match, but it sure looks like a style match to me

[TwinLakesPark]

I see a clear photo match and I like it!

[Phil316]

Photomatched to a photo shoot hardly makes it game worn.

[volunteer]

It looks like the yellow thread at the bottom of the 'E' tapers off in two different directions.

[sox83cubs84]

Regarding Grey Flannel's explnation on the auction lot, I have seen two 1989 Mets jerseys, both gamers, both roads and both commons, that carried the 1990-91 tg. To me, the way I sum it up is that if it were these Mets commons, or even the Von Hayes Phillies road that GFC shows in their photo display, I'd probably take a chance. However, when you're talking one of the key jerseys of the 1989 MLB season, one that was issued by Score Board as well as a player/style/team that has been privately replicated, even allowing GFC's claims to be factual, I'd just be hesitant to pull the trigger, as the controversy and conventional wisdom involved around the item would be too much of an issue for me.

Dave M.

[TwinLakesPark]

Regarding Grey Flannel's explnation on the auction lot, I have seen two 1989 Mets jerseys, both gamers, both roads and both commons, that carried the 1990-91 tg. To me, the way I sum it up is that if it were these Mets commons, or even the Von Hayes Phillies road that GFC shows in their photo display, I'd probably take a chance. However, when you're talking one of the key jerseys of the 1989 MLB season, one that was issued by Score Board as well as a player/style/team that has been privately replicated, even allowing GFC's claims to be factual, I'd just be hesitant to pull the trigger, as the controversy and conventional wisdom involved around the item would be too much of an issue for me.

Dave M.

I am confused, isn't there a photo match that puts this jersey on Ken's back? What is the problem with that?