Mile High Card Co. - Willie Stargell Coaches Jersey

[Dewey2007]

Can someone help me out with this one. The listing for this Willie Stargell game worn coaches jersey has it attributed to being worn by him during the 1986 season. The problem I find is that Stargell was a coach with the Atlanta Braves during the 1986 season. Does anyone remember if Stargell was a coach with the Pirates during spring training of '86 and would the Pirates even have worn jerseys like this during spring training? Here is the link:

http://www.milehighcardco.com/LotDet...100&category=1

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dewey

[gwh11]

Searching a a newspaper database I found an article on the Braves training camp dated Feb 23, 1986 (the paper is the Aiken Standard, from Aiken SC). The article is accompanied by a photo of Chuck Tanner and Stargell, each in their Braves uniforms for the first training camp workout of that season. So...there's your answer.
-Guy

[Sangy 35]

The Pirates recycled a ton back then, Hartel bought a bunch of jerseys and had the NOB restored professionally. That's where the "excessive" wear comes from from these mid 80's Pirate jerseys, they were all sent to the minors and worn for years after their MLB use. Even the restoration wasn't perfect. For example, I have a 1984 home jersey with Chuck Tanner's name plate on it. It was actually worn according to the inside tagging, by Jose Deleon, sent down, had a number change from #25 to # 7. I also have a Jim Gott 1987 home jersey, that has been beat to death, and had the NOB restored, Gott was only there in 1987 a couple of months. Somebody is going to pay over five hundred bucks for this jersey, and Stargell never touched it. You can't really tell from the pics, but I would bet it has a restored nameplate, and a number change.

[Dewey2007]

Thanks Guy and Sangy 35 for the feeback and for confirming some of my thoughts on this jersey.

I also e-mailed the auction house asking for their feedback on how the jersey could be attributed to Stargell when he was not even with the Pirates in '86. There's only four days left in their auction so I'll be interested to see what they do or if they take the time to respond.

[gwh11]

Yep, Stargell coached for the Pirates in '85, then for the Braves from '86-'88:
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/stargwi01.php

-Guy

[steelpenguin]

Can someone help me out with this one. The listing for this Willie Stargell game worn coaches jersey has it attributed to being worn by him during the 1986 season. The problem I find is that Stargell was a coach with the Atlanta Braves during the 1986 season. Does anyone remember if Stargell was a coach with the Pirates during spring training of '86 and would the Pirates even have worn jerseys like this during spring training? Here is the link:

http://www.milehighcardco.com/LotDet...100&category=1

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dewey

If anything that MAY have been some kinda game issue jersey. I remember when Leyland got the Pirates job in 1986 that there were several people not real thrilled that Stargell was out (and I am pretty sure that was a Leyland decision to not have Stargell back). If memory serves me right it was not right away that he followed Tanner to Atlanta. That kinda came after the fact and when the dust settled in Pittsburgh, then he went with Tanner.

The Pirates may have had jerseys ready that were never used, but who knows? Like the other post says, those of us that have older Pirates stuff all know that their stuff was used and used and used and used all through the minors. I have head stories about Barry Bonds' early stuff getting recycled ... so everything got altered and used again.

There is not a serious Pirates collector that does not have one if not several of these. The one pictured is a NNOB #53 from 1980. The last few of these I got was from a guy back home that had a bunch of 'em. I paid $100 for a 6 jersey lot ... these early 80's jerseys are everywhere. Several are of player numbers that people would know. I have a #4 Kiner, #40 Murtaugh, #8 Stargell ... now granted that the jerseys that I have were MiLB jerseys, but the Pirates thought nothing of using those numbers at lower levels. Maz did not have his number retired till like 1987, and I've seen #9's like this too.

The point being that that could have been one of the random #8's made for MiLB use and somebody got a hold of a nameplate and made a match. From what one can tell from a photo (which sometimes ain't much) it looks OK with the lettering and such, but if I were to get that, it would not be at a premium price. Again, the Pirates MiLB jerseys are everywhere. Just head to Bradenton once and you will see tons of those getting used for the old guys to sign. I've done that and it happens each year.

[steelpenguin]

Looking again on second glance ... and this is the key. At that point in Stargell's life, he gained a TON of weight. If you can find a photo of him coaching first base you will see that.

I've seen one of the Stargell Braves game used jerseys and the thing is HUGE! No way was Willie fitting into a size 50 in 1986, esp when those things were snug to begin with.

And there lies your answer on this one. That's an MiLB jersey with a #8 and a nameplate was added most likely. Can't tell for sure without holding is and checking alterations ... but my guess that's an MiLB Bucco special! $50 jersey ... maybe! ; )

[Sangy 35]

Looking again on second glance ... and this is the key. At that point in Stargell's life, he gained a TON of weight. If you can find a photo of him coaching first base you will see that.

I've seen one of the Stargell Braves game used jerseys and the thing is HUGE! No way was Willie fitting into a size 50 in 1986, esp when those things were snug to begin with.

And there lies your answer on this one. That's an MiLB jersey with a #8 and a nameplate was added most likely. Can't tell for sure without holding is and checking alterations ... but my guess that's an MiLB Bucco special! $50 jersey ... maybe! ; )

I do have some pics of Willie, from August of 1985, I'll try to dig them up at my old house and post them. The jersey is what you said it was. They sent most of their jerseys down with nameplates removed at least until the late 1980's. When they started selling stuff at their store in the William Penn Hotel in 1987, the jersey's had NNOB, but did have a printed card Id'ing the player who originally wore it. They had a ton, I mean a ton, of use, and were priced what today is cheap, say, $75.00 for a Gene Tenace yellow jersey, too steep a price for a 16 year old kid then, despite them having several Bonds bats, I passed them up for a $15.00 Terry Harper bat, my first game used purchase, I still have it to this day.


Floyd Hartel made a bulk purchase in the early 90's. These jersey's mostly had new name plates, the lettering was thinner than what was on the jersey originally. Floyd, to his credit, noticed the mistake on the Tanner jersey, asked if I still wanted it, I did, and he cut the price. But, I purchased a Darnell Coles 1987 road from Murf Denny that was all original, in this same time period. Most of the stuff from this era is pretty beat up, and I tend to stay away from anything with a restored NOB due to most of the use coming from the minors.

[steelpenguin]

I do have some pics of Willie, from August of 1985, I'll try to dig them up at my old house and post them. The jersey is what you said it was. They sent most of their jerseys down with nameplates removed at least until the late 1980's. When they started selling stuff at their store in the William Penn Hotel in 1987, the jersey's had NNOB, but did have a printed card Id'ing the player who originally wore it. They had a ton, I mean a ton, of use, and were priced what today is cheap, say, $75.00 for a Gene Tenace yellow jersey, too steep a price for a 16 year old kid then, despite them having several Bonds bats, I passed them up for a $15.00 Terry Harper bat, my first game used purchase, I still have it to this day.


Floyd Hartel made a bulk purchase in the early 90's. These jersey's mostly had new name plates, the lettering was thinner than what was on the jersey originally. Floyd, to his credit, noticed the mistake on the Tanner jersey, asked if I still wanted it, I did, and he cut the price. But, I purchased a Darnell Coles 1987 road from Murf Denny that was all original, in this same time period. Most of the stuff from this era is pretty beat up, and I tend to stay away from anything with a restored NOB due to most of the use coming from the minors.

You are dead on about the old store there at the William Penn ... I shopped there too. I forgot about the jerseys and if I am not mistaken they sold the nameplates at one point as well for like $10 or so did they not?

I remember who DID have those at one point and I purchased some of the 100 year patches from 1987 there. Remember when "The Sports Deli" was in Station Square and it was actually a good store? They sold nameplates in there for a while too. Now that you mention it, it came to my memory as I have that $35 patch with the 1887/1997 date on it. They said then that those were extras that came from the Pirates, hence why I got one. It's one of the white ones too that appeared on Pirates jerseys for a short period of time. I don't know of those loose white patches are worth anything now but I still have one.

Odd ... you mention the William Penn and the memories all come back! Good post. Thanks Sangy!

[Sangy 35]

You are dead on about the old store there at the William Penn ... I shopped there too. I forgot about the jerseys and if I am not mistaken they sold the nameplates at one point as well for like $10 or so did they not?

I remember who DID have those at one point and I purchased some of the 100 year patches from 1987 there. Remember when "The Sports Deli" was in Station Square and it was actually a good store? They sold nameplates in there for a while too. Now that you mention it, it came to my memory as I have that $35 patch with the 1887/1997 date on it. They said then that those were extras that came from the Pirates, hence why I got one. It's one of the white ones too that appeared on Pirates jerseys for a short period of time. I don't know of those loose white patches are worth anything now but I still have one.

Odd ... you mention the William Penn and the memories all come back! Good post. Thanks Sangy!

I have been a Pirate fan since birth. My Dad was a fan, his father before him....you get the idea. We first got the Bucs on cable here in West Virginia in 1986, in 1987 they happened to mention the "Pirate Clubhouse Store" in the William Penn. We were headed up for a game, so I dug up the info, called ahead for directions, and begged the old man to take me there before the game. Of course we got lost, I drive around Pittsburgh like a native today, but eventually found it. They had about four racks of these jerseys. I was amazed they had a Tenace, but my $3.35 an hour salary dipping ice cream and making sandwiches made the price tag unaffordable. They had some Bonds bats, they were priced at $40.00. Like a damned fool, I bought the Harper that was more in my price range. The bats were in a garbage can, over by the cash register. LOL!


I shopped there until they closed it down, mid 1990's. The best buy was a John Smiley batting helmet, my kids caught up with John at an alumni signing at PNC a few years ago and had him sign it, he was amazed someone would have a helmet he used that long ago. This was also the place I learned that those selling equipment didn't always know what they were talking about. My second game used purchase, hey my boss had raised me to $3.70 an hour by 1988, was a Bill Almon bat, with #14 marked on both ends. That was of course, Mike Diaz, who was a half season wonder back then. Had myself a hell of a steal, so I thought. I paid for the bat, mentioned Diaz must have used it, and the guy behind the counter says " no, these guys are major leaguers, no way they use another player's equipment". I knew he was full of it, but it wasn't long until Diaz was shopped off to the White Sox, and my "steal" didn't look so good. I shudder at the prices for game used stuff at PNC, times were much more simple, and cheaper, at the William Penn in the late 80's.