Good morning Forum readers-

I fellow forum reader asked me to give my opinion on a 2004 Astros Clemens jersey. This particular jersey is void of the Majestic tagging in the tail, however, has the washing tag with the correct 0062 code. I have heard from several collectors and dealers that Clemens removes the Majestic tagging in the front left outer tail, as he does not like it rubbing in his pants.

Folks, I find this a bit hard to believe. Why is it that Steiner is selling Clemens game worn Yankees jerseys that have the tagging in the tail? Likewise, why do the Blue Jays Clemens also have the tagging still intact in the tail? Both the Yankees jerseys and Blue Jays have rock solid LOA’s (Steiner and Jays team LOA).

I have seen several “Pro-Cut” Clemens Astros alternate red and home jerseys offered on Ebay, all unworn with the correct 0062 tagging. Sizing has ranged from 48 to 52. Is it possible that this elaborate story of Clemens removing the tail tags was created by those folks eager to make a quick $$$, and designed to allow these “Pro-Cuts” to be sold as gamers, earning a few thousand $$$ with a quick cut of a tag? Buy a Pro-Cut size 48, knowing it is the incorrect size, remove the tags, and presto!

No doubt this post will result in responses from collectors who are friends with Clemens, his limo driver, his dog walker, etc, who know for a fact that he is indeed removing the tags from his Astros jerseys. Does anyone own a Clemens Astros jersey with some type of team documentation? Rudy, how about a photo of a 2004 or 5 Clemens jersey being worn with a shot of the void tagging in the tail?

Although it is possible that Clemens removes the tagging, I would appreciate some sort of definitive proof behind why such tagging is removed.

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net