With attribution to Jackie Robinson, one of the most important figures in the history of sport and a historical figure well beyond the confines of the diamond, this 1950's Brooklyn Dodgers game-worn warmup jacket formerly resided for nearly two decades at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
The heavy wool and satin-lined warmup jacket is in marvelous condition, with the iconic Dodgers script emblazoned across the front, white snap-on buttons and black leather-lined pockets. The blue knitted collar cuffs and waistband are in similarly problem-free condition, jostled only by a slight purplish cast attributed to wear and sweat at the collar and cuffs, but much less so at the waist. The snaps are all present and in working order; one has the tiniest loss of white paint at the bottom. The "Dodgers" script across the front shows dirt and wear and some of the expected puckering, with only minimal fraying of any of the delicate white stitching. The jacket is unlike the often seen satin variety worn by the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early to mid 1950’s, but is certainly of professional quality. Its attribution to Jackie Robinson is rooted primarily to its accompaniment to a Robinson uniform that it was issued together with to a Dodgers minor league player.
The jacket carries with it several Letters of Authenticity, including the principal one from a man who played in the minor leagues at the time of Robinson's retirement. Ultimately part of the Dodgers' minor-league organization, his letter attests that as part of the well-documented practice of major league teams shuttling big-league uniforms into their minor-league affiliates, he was issued this warmup jacket along with Robinson's No. 42 uniform while playing for Brooklyn's Single-A club at Macon. In the letter, the man notes the presence of handwritten "J.R." initials on the inside of the lining, thought to be in Robinson's hand and there since the day he received the jacket. Also included with the LOA is a photocopy of a photograph of the gentleman in his (originally Jackie’s) Dodgers uniform as well as an image of the jacket on display at Cooperstown.