Washington Senators flannel - is this the real thing?

[akleinb611]

I recently picked up a very intriguing item, and I'd like to hear from anyone with an opinion (I KNOW I'm inviting trouble there! ) This looks to be a 1961 or 1962 Washington Senators home flannel jersey; I didn't pay a huge amount for it, so even if it turns out to be some sort of replica, it was probably a good buy. If it's the real thing, then it was an AMAZING buy!

The dealer thought that it might have been a movie prop, perhaps for "Damn Yankees." I doubt that, since that movie and most stage productions use the classic block "W" that was emblematic of the old Senators. I'm unaware of any movie that utilized the "new" Senators. And the shirt seems contemporary, rather than a latter-day mock-up

As you can see, the shirt is in very nice condition. The thickness of the fabric and the color seems consistent with a fifty-year-old shirt. The shirt shows little or no wear. There's no secondary tagging, no name in the collar or in the tail. The only tag is a McAuliffe tag with a size tag to one side, and some frayed fabric where a year tag might have been removed. That area also shows some faint color variation that would be consistent with a year tag having been removed.

The collar had the size (44) written in laundry marker, as well as the number 8 and a question mark, written upside down. The jersey has the number 8 on the back. The lettering on the front and the number on the back have vivid colors, but the material is soft, so it seems to have been laundered a few times.

So, what do I have here? The lack of embroidered tagging is always a bit disquieting, but if it was normal for the Senators during this period, then that's okay. McAuliffe is a troublesome manufacturer, because of all of the retail shirts they sold in the Seventies and Eighties. But I'm unaware of their having done that during the flannel era. The lack of a year tag is unfortunate, but not uncommon in older shirts, as it may have been sent to the minors or otherwise reused.

In 1961, the "new" Senators' inaugural year, #8 was Pete Daley, a career second-string catcher in his final season. He got into about 70 games, so I assume about half of them were at home. If he was issued two home and two road shirts, that would add up to 15 to 20 games for this shirt. In 1962, this number went unissued, which might account for the general lack of wear. It might have been a standby shirt that was prepared for a possible late season newcomer but never actually used.

Is the McAuliffe tag consistent with this era? Is there anything else the shirt should or shouldn't have? What does everyone think?

You opinons are most welcome.

Alan Kleinberger

[akleinb611]

Seriously...anybody out there? Nobody has an opinion on this?

That's got to be a first - a posting on the authanticity of a game used jersey and nobody has an opinion!

Alan Kleinberger

[ksfarmboy]

I know nothing about Senator jerseys but it looks similar to the ones on the dressed to the nines site for the 1961-62 jerseys.

Clint

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.o...splay+uniforms

[sox83cubs84]

Alan:

I can't say for sure without having it in hand, but I referred to a 1963 Topps card of Don Lock, in what likely is the 1962 home jersey...placement of Senators team name and zipper front are both positive.

Dave Miedema

[Vintagedeputy]

In 1961, Pete Daley wore #8 in 72 games with the Senators.



In 1962, Ron Stillwell wore #8 for 6 games

[akleinb611]

Thanks for pointing out that I misremembered about the shirt having been unissued in 1962. I had indeed found that Ron Stillwell wore that number that year. However, I eliminated him from consideration because he was 5'10" and weighed 165 pounds, which struck me as a bit small for a size 44 shirt. Daley seems a more likely candidate for a jersey that size, at 6' and 195 lb.

Does anybody know if the McAuliffe tag is consistent for that era? I've seen their tags from the Sixties that were slightly larger, and which placed the size and year tag under the main tag. Any exceptions to that rule?

Thanks again for the input.

Alan Kleinberger

[both-teams-played-hard]

[akleinb611]

Yeah, that's what I mean. The tag on my jersey is a bit more rectangular, and I've never seen the size and year tags placed at the side, rather than below. Still, the tags you've posted, as well as the ones in my own collection, post-date 1961 and are for different teams (Red Sox and A's). Isn't there anyone out there who owns, has seen, or knows of another Senators flannel?

The mystery continues...

Alan Kleinberger

[both-teams-played-hard]

1961 Senators flannel:



The '62 and '65 tags are rectangle also, just misleading from the camera angle.

[akleinb611]

Thanks for clearing that up. It looks as though the main tag is precisely the same, and the size tag is the right color. The placement is odd, which means - what exactly?

Also, if you have another 1961 Senators jersey, could you tell me if they used any individual tagging, such as Name In Collar or Name In Tail?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Alan