The rumblings of history can be heard (felt?) in this striking original Boston Braves full uniform worn by veteran outfielder Danny Litwhiler during the 1947, one year before the club would pull off one of the legendary team efforts in modern times, capturing the National League pennant behind a pitching rotation that may or may not have relied on frequent entreaties to The Almighty about rainfall.
This striking grey flannel zippered garment boasts the famed “Braves” angled text across the chest in red-on-black felt accented by the the famed Tomahawk logo in black-and-gold felt with intricate light brown stitching, the very same style jersey that would be retained by the club several years later when they quietly slipped out of Boston for the wildly greener pastures - for a while anyway - of Milwaukee. Litwhiler's No. 4 appears on the back in red-on-black felt, and the red and black piping on the collar, button path and sleeves is largely intact and unmolested; the Braves' "headdress" patch appears on the left sleeve, also in super condition but with about an inch of the patch having separated from the shirt. Within the collar, a “Horace Partridge” local manufacturer’s label is accompanied by a Size “44” adjacent tag and a felt strip tag with a stitched notation of “Litwhiler.” There are six holes (as tailored) under each arm to facilitate ventilation. The all-original garment shows good game use but is essentially problem free. Litwhiler has added a large and bold black marker autograph to the front of the jersey, adding the inscriptions "Best Wishes Always" and "1947 Boston Braves." As striking as that arrangement is, Litwhiler provided the exact same signature and inscriptions on the left front of the pants, only this time perhaps 20 larger than on the shirt.
The accompanying flannel pants flannel reveal even more wear, with some noticeable fraying of the piping down each leg and on the ornamentation around the belt. The one-button zippered fly remains intact and working. Within the fly is a “Horace Partridge Co.” label and "Litwhiler" is chain stitched on a small felt tag at the back of the waist. There is considerable team repair to the back of the pants, primarily around the back-left pocket area. Truly an extraordinary artifact from one of the member of a beloved franchise, obviously a museum-worthy piece, since it came from a museum.
Includes a Letter of Provenance from The Newport Sports Museum.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.