Please note this description has changed from the printed catalog as a result of a LOA and photo match to Jeter's 1995 debut season being provided by Sports Investors Authentication. Please review their letter on this web page and review the description for your chance to own the only known and authenticated Derek Jeter 1995 Debut Season Game used jersey!

For a franchise that produced and revered the game’s all-time greats like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, there may be no more beloved player in the Yankees’ storied history than Derek Sanderson Jeter. Drafted out of Kalamazoo Central High School in 1992 by the Yankees’ with the sixth overall pick, Jeter quickly rose through the minor leagues. Only a shoulder injury towards the tail end of the 1994 season prevented an earlier start to what would be a Hall of Fame career.

Ironically, it would be injuries to Tony Fernandez and Pat Kelly that brought Jeter to Majors to make his debut in May of 1995. While his May 29th, 1995 debut was less than desired going hitless in five at-bats, it would soon be typical Jeter fashion, bouncing back the next day by collecting his first two career hits and scoring his first ever run. Jeter appeared in 15 games in 1995, laying the groundwork for his breakout 1996 AL Rookie of the Year season. Goldin Auctions is proud to present the very jersey Derek Jeter wore during his debut game on May 29, 1995 and for the remainder of his debut season. This New York Yankees road jersey, originally tagged for Bernie Williams, was worn by the 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter during his first callup with the club in 1995. In those 15 games with the Yankees, Jeter batted .250 with seven RBI.

We are proud to present the HOLY GRAIL of Derek Jeter Collectibles, his MLB Debut jersey and the jersey worn for his first MLB hit, obtained from the NY Yankees themselves and has been CONCLUSIVELY PHOTO MATCHED to his historic 1995 Debut Season by Sports Investors Authentication! In addition to the matches they provide in the LOA displayed on this page, you can see in the video screen shot images from Jeter’s debut against the Mariners at the Kingdome in Seattle, you can see the “Y” has appropriate orientation relative to the stitching which is the evidence we have used to substantiate that this jersey is an apparent match to the debut. The apparent photo match to Jeter’s debut game and first hit game are based on the images we are displaying in this lot. This jersey represents the ONLY KNOWN AUTHENTICATED (or photo matched) jersey from Derek Jeter's Debut Season in 1995. 

            Originally tagged for use by teammate Bernie Williams in 1994 and right before Jeter made his debut, this size 46 classic Yankees gray road jersey has “NEW YORK” sewn on across the chest of this button-down jersey in navy and white tackle twill. The back of the jersey has Jeter’s number “2” sewn on in navy and white tackle twill, which displays puckering and loose stitching. A Russell Athletic and size 46 MLB Authentic Diamond Collection manufacturers label with “100% Polyester” flag tag and a faded “51 B. WILLIAMS 94” strip tag is on the left front tail. According to Bill Henderson of Sports Investors, the manner in which the jersey was pieced together would be consistent with what Jeter wore on his MLB debut, further evidencing it was most likely rushed to be put into use due to an injury at the time for Yankee short stop Tony Fernandez. Remnants of the number 7 and a black armband are on the left sleeve in memorial of Yankees’ legend Mickey Mantle’s passing on August 13, 1995. The Yankees often recycled their jerseys for multi-season use and with the Mantle memorial armband and number removed, this jersey appears to have been made ready for the 1996 season. This jersey displays moderate to heavy use with puckering and loose threads on the letters and number. Jeter has signed his name in black marker below the “YORK” on the front and was aware of the significance and history of this jersey confirming it was his MLB debut jersey by inscribing it “Game Used 5-29-95 MLB Debut”.

This jersey is an incredible historical and significant piece of baseball history. In addition to the apparent photo match in the images we have provided to his debut game and first hit, Jeter’s jersey has also been conclusively photo matched by Sports Investors Authentication to the final game of the regular season in 1995 when the Yankees defeated Toronto on October 1st at SkyDome to clinch the first ever American League Wild Card spot. Deter Jeter will be long remembered as one of the greatest Yankees of all-time as he often mentioned in the same breath as Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and Berra. This jersey comes with a LOA from Yankee-Steiner Collectibles authenticating that Jeter wore this Bernie Williams tagged jersey during the 1995 season and signed it. The jersey also comes with a photo match LOA from Sports Investors authentication, who matched this jersey to the October 1st, 1995 game in Toronto.

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