2019 October Legends Closing October 19
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/20/2019
Resting comfortably on the laurels of a Hall of Fame career, Joe DiMaggio was summoned by maverick owner Charlie Finley to serve as a coach and the Executive Vice President of an Athletics team that had been freshly transplanted near the Yankee Clipper's Bay Area home in 1968. Here offered is an Athletics cap worn by Joltin' Joe as he served in a mentor capacity for the "Swingin' A's" just prior to their moustachioed phase.
This green-colored wool cap features the club's olde English "A" logo embroidered to the front center in white. (The "apostrophe-s" pattern was added to the team's jerseys in '69 and to their caps in 1972). Within the 6-point crown, a sweatband is accented by a stamped notation of size "7-1/4" and a "TIM McAULIFFE" manufacturer's label. On the bill's underside, DiMaggio's number "5" is inscribed in black marker. Moderate wear is evident, with finger marks present on the underside of the brim. Among the conditions DiMaggio set upon accepting his role were his refusals to work the base lines or to make public appearances outside the ballpark. Additionally, it was DiMaggio's observations that prompted Alameda County Coliseum officials to reconfigure the playing field so as to give every seat a view of home plate. That re-alignment, of course, gave the venue the most foul territory of any stadium in the Majors—a trait that remains to this day. This cap comes with a LOA from the DiMaggio family.