Winter Auction 2016 Closing January 30th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/31/2016
While the year 1947 made Jackie Robinson instantly famous for breaking baseball's color barrier, 1949 and 1950 defined Jackie Robinson's career as a ballplayer. After two seasons of turning the other cheek, Robinson was finally able to play by his own rules and it showed. In what would prove to be the best season of his career, number 42 murdered the ball at a .349 clip and led the league in steals. His aggressive play sparked the Dodgers to the pennant and he was voted the National League MVP for 1949. The next season Robinson became the highest paid player in Dodgers history and he hit .328 and led the league in turning double plays. Although the Dodgers failed to win the pennant, it wasn't for Robinson's lack of trying. Time and again his bat and glove kept the Bums neck and neck with the Phillies down to the last day of the season. This spectacular Brooklyn Dodgers cap sat on Jackie Robinson's head during the height of his Hall of Fame career. To the untrained eye most Brooklyn Dodgers caps look the same, however there are a few identifiers that MEARS used to date this cap to 1949-1950. The first is the Rawlings label. The Dodgers ordered Rawlings caps during the 1949-1951 seasons. MEARS was able to further narrow down the date of this cap due to the style of "B". The "B" on the cap is embroidered on a blue base which was then sewn onto the cap - this process was used on Brooklyn caps made by Rawlings only during the 1949-1950 seasons. The following year Rawlings changed the design of the "B" and embroidered the letter directly onto the cap. MEARS was able to authenticate the cap's use by Robinson through the application of his famous number "42" found under the brim. The ink was examined and determined to be worn and set into the fibers consistent with its age. MEARS also compared the number application with a 1949 -1950 cap worn by Wayne Belardi whose number is applied in the same fashion as this cap. Condition wise the cap exhibits heavy game use. The Dodger blue remains vibrant though there are some light stains visible. There are no moth holes or tears evident except for one area on the right side of the brim which appears t be a cigarette burn. The brim is tightly attached and although the cardboard interior is cracked it still retains a nice even curve. The famous "B" is firmly affixed and the white embroidery shows some age toning. The white button on the crown is firmly attached though slightly discolored. The Rawlings label is present in the white leather sweatband which shows cracking from age. As you'd expect from a game used cap, there is some staining to the underside of the brim where fingers would be placed when taking the cap off or on. A beautiful piece of baseball history. Letter of Authenticity from uniform experts MEARS who graded this cap Authentic. MEARS informs us this is the only authentic example they have issued a letter for.