Lou Whitaker BP

[yankees159]

i won this on MLB.com just wondering what year it is from. I could not find any pictures online.

https://tigers.auctions.mlb.com/iSynApp/auctionDisplay.action?sid=1102383&auctionId=2978265&pgmode1=teamsearch&pgcust1=

Thanks,

Todd

[sox83cubs84]

Based on the Wilson tag design, it would date to the 1987-91 era. Can you read what the 2-letter code is on that small tag fastened beneath the Wilson label. That can date it to the year and even the month of manufacture.

Dave Miedema

[84Tigers]

From that era, most/nearly all game used Tiger jerseys and pants had the Tiger’s equipment manager’s initials hand written in pen or sharpie. The Tigers organization was VERY protective of its uniforms and claims that something was game used, when it was not. I’ve even heard stories of Tiger employees at memorabilia shows calling out dealers with “game used” jerseys as fakes if they lacked such markings. Hopefully, you have the real deal (maybe the equipment manager did not mark BP jerseys).

[sox83cubs84]

I've also heard from a few Detroit dealers of that era that the Tigers would also sometimes confiscate jersey from dealers unless the Schmakel markings were present.

Dave Miedema

[TwinLakesPark]

Nice jersey Todd, that was a great buy directly from the Tigers! I had the matching Trammell jersey in my collection at one time.

There has been lots of speculation over that exact jersey style and there is only 1 known photo of Lou and Tram wearing them. It has been speculated that they were home BP jerseys and I have also heard spring training home jerseys, but I could never find the photo evidence to prove it.

To Dave's point, the 2-letter code on the small tag in the next will help you identify the year. My Trammell jersey had the "CX" code, which my database notates it as a 1990 jersey.

I will try to find the photo of them wearing this jersey, it was a closeup portrait of Lou/Tram, but you could clearly see it was this style jersey. Let me know if you ever want to sell it, it would fit my collection nicely!

Wes

[TwinLakesPark]

As promised, this is the photo that shows them in this jersey. 2 things about this photo: (1) there is a batting cage behind them and (2) the color of the seats would lead me to believe this is NOT Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL (spring training).

[TwinLakesPark]

Photos from MLB Auction of the jersey in discussion:

[TwinLakesPark]

Photos of a similar jersey that came directly from the Tigers. Interesting thing to note on this one is the Name on Back (NOB), correct size (44), 2-letter tag code of "DX" and strip tag.

[sox83cubs84]

This one seems odd. The DX tag would date it to 1991, but the strip tag shows the year as 1989. That doesn't make sense, unless I'm missing something.

Dave Miedema

[yankees159]

This one seems odd. The DX tag would date it to 1991, but the strip tag shows the year as 1989. That doesn't make sense, unless I'm missing something.

Dave Miedema

Great point Dave, is the size 44 correct? A 89 Whitaker in auction is size 40.

[sox83cubs84]

That does seem a bit large for that time frame. In today's sizing Sweet Lou in a 44 would likely be correct. But from 30 years ago? I'm kinda skeptical, also.

Dave M.

[TwinLakesPark]

That does seem a bit large for that time frame. In today's sizing Sweet Lou in a 44 would likely be correct. But from 30 years ago? I'm kinda skeptical, also.

Dave M.

So I know very little about a lot, but I know a lot about very little, and that is Lou Whitaker for me. Lou's sizing ranged between 38 and 44 throughout his career. Due to the scarcity of his late 70's and early 80's jerseys, it is hard to get good sizings from 77-83, but my database (with samples from 77, 78 and 84) suggest he wore a 38 from 77 to 84. 85 to 86 is scarce, but there is evidence of him wearing of 42 from 87 to around 89, where he then wore a 44 until the end of his career in 95. If the "DX" truly does represent a production date of 91, then a size 44 is spot on with all other examples from that time period, in which there are plenty.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, both of the white BP jerseys came from the exact same equipment room in Comerica Park, so the sizing difference really has me puzzled. However, I am putting my money on a 44 post-1988 all day long, and so are the collectors that have been paying thousands for his jerseys recently.

It's cool that Marc is finally clearing out the old jerseys from the "upstairs" equipment room, but there sure is some odd stuff in there...

[sox83cubs84]

Point taken. Still, how does a jersey with an alpha year code of 1991 have a 1989 strip tag in the tail?

Dave M.

[TwinLakesPark]

Point taken. Still, how does a jersey with an alpha year code of 1991 have a 1989 strip tag in the tail?

Dave M.

This would lead me to challenge to data source of the alpha year code. Where did this coding come from and what do we know about it? Did Wilson ever publish this? I saw a primer on it once but it clearly stated that it was for football jerseys.

[sox83cubs84]

This alpha year code was first published in the hobby back in the early 1990s in Phil Wood's old Diamond Duds newsletter. It was submitted by a well-known game used collector of the era, Tim Phillips of Texas, and was first published in regards to dating Wilson MLB caps. I've never encountered an actual game used or team issued jersey from MLB or the NFL that's had an inconsistency like this. Anything can happen, but if this jersey were submitted to me for authentication, the only response I'd give would be Unable to Authenticate.

Dave M.