Cal Ripken Jr **ROOKIE** Game Used Jersey - Memory Lane Auctions

[ripkengamers]

http://www.memorylaneinc.com/site/bi...etauctionid=62

OK HOWARD, MARK. OTHERS,
THIS LOOKS LIKE THE REAL DEAL TO ME. I'M LOOKING FOR MEMBERS OPINIONS ON THIS ONE! THIS WOULD BE THE CORNERSTONE TO ANY RIPKEN GAME USED COLLECTORS MUSEUM!

[hblakewolf]

Longtime Orioles contact/collector Barry Wolfscheimer had Ripkens rookie jersey. IT was made by Descente and correctly tagged. He obtained it directly from the team when he made one of his huge bulk purchases. I believe he consigned it to Lelands a few years ago.

With that said, I would have no interest in the jersey that is being offered for the following reasons:
It is a 1980 jersey that was "recycled" for Ripken in 1981. How can we ever know if someone removed the original name on back, Skaggs (Dave Skaggs) and put RIPKEN on back? Or was this recycles to the minor leagues after 1980, the name Skaggs removed, and later, the name Ripken added, even though Ripken never wore it?

How could Grey Flannel write a definitive letter of authenticity 15 years after this was worn, based on a name change and being from a year before Ripken played? How can it be proven that Ripken wore this in 1981, let alone provide a LOA? If it had a LOA from the Orioles, maybe, or even Ripken himself.

Is it possible Ripken wore this? Maybe. If it was a being sold as a common 1980 ort 1981 Orioles jersey with these issues, I may purchase it just for the style. Too many unknowns for me to feel comfortable with this.

I'll pass and wait for Barry Wolfscheimers PERFECT Descente Ripken Rookie to resurface and make a run for that.

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

[kingjammy24]

Is that the same Descente that makes ski jackets?

Anyway, I'm surprised no Orioles/Ripken collectors mentioned this recent 1985 Ripken up for auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=8773226824

Rudy.

[suave1477]

I find 2 things funny about the ebay ad link kingjammy posted.

1) Why is i always see guys who are selling game used jerseys always have listed that same players game used baseball cards?
( maybe they think if we assume there selling the same players g/u cards we will automatically think the jersey has to be real ) just a thought!!

2) He actually posted ripken will always be remembered with the likes of Mantle, Maris and so on / dont get me wrong i think ripken was a very good player but he wasnt a record setting monster due to his hitting / his big record was for showing up to a game everyday.

I show up to work every day and even i didnt get a dinner "Red Buttons"

[trsent]

1. Dave Winfield (787) *
2. Robin Yount (759) *
3. Al Kaline (747) *
4. Eddie Murray (742) *
5. Carl Yastrzemski (741) *
6. Craig Biggio (727)
7. George Brett (704) *
8. Harold Baines (703)
9. Tony Perez (699) *
10. Andre Dawson (696)

http://www.baseball-reference.com/fr...pken&st=career

baseball-reference.com lists Ripken's stats in comparison to these ten players. Pretty nice group if you ask me. Sure, not Mantle (not Maris, duh) but not Ruth, Cobb or Mays either.

This is really a neat web site if you wish to find stats and other information about a player's career, records, salary, etc.

[baltos]

This jersey has been auctioned three or four times including this listing from Mastro. I agree with Howard that there are some things about this jersey which would concern me (primarily the name change). I would rather prefer a Ripken with stronger provenance.

I have seen firsthand a 1981 Ripken which had ironclad provenance and it was a Rawlings. Also size 44, it had a +3 inches flag tag.

I grew up an Orioles fan and even more specifically a Ripken fan, but for what a genuine Ripken rookie would bring, I could own 8-10 top notch flannels with no question of authenticity.

[baltos]

I forgot to post the Mastro listing.

[hblakewolf]

Forum readers-
after sleeping on this, I realized a few things........

Ripken was on the 40 man roster for the 1981 season. As such, the team would have included him on their 1981 order for jerseys. when he was called up from Rochester in 1981, a fresh jersey would have been waiting for him.

I could understand them stripping Dave Skaggs jersey in a quite attempt to have a shirt for him, if he was called up from the low minors or it was not expected for him to join the Orioles and a shirt was not ordered from the manufacturer. Again, Ripken was on the 40 man roster and as such, a shirt would have been waiting.

I'm not sure the team wore Wilson shirts in 1981. Descente supplied the jerseys, however, I can't remember if it was 1982 or 1981. If it was in 1981, then this even stinks more.

Regardless, based on the above, I have a difficult time believing this is Ripkens real 1981 jersey.

Howard Wolf
hblakewolf@patmedia.net

[kingjammy24]

Howard,

Are you implying that jerseys that are re-used are done so solely for players who arrive after the start of the season? (It's entirely plausible. I just want to make sure I understand what you seem to be implying).

As I understand it, jersey orders are placed in early spring. This is done when the team has a decent idea of who's going to be on the team. The equipment manager records all the players he needs, their sizes, numbers, any customizations, quantities, and sends the order through.
Is it possible that, on a cheap team, an equipment manager could see how many jerseys from the previous season he could salvage and order the difference? That is, if 25 jerseys are required and he figures he can re-use 5 jerseys from the previous season, then he'll only order 20 new jerseys? Just a thought.

Obviously, we're all aware of teams re-using jerseys. I had just never thought of re-used jerseys as being solely for players arriving after the start of the season. Interesting idea. Thoughts?

Rudy.

[suave1477]

KingJammy ell i can totally see that why not? I bet the equipment manager even looks better to his management by doing that, then he can turn around and say "hey boss i saved the team some moeny this year". Or just for the fact the team is cheap why not hold on to left overs for minor leaguers that come up in the middle of the season!!!