This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/18/2014
This is an important artifact from one of the familiar faces in American League dugouts in the 1960's and 1970's, an importance expanded by the realization that the jersey represents the inaugural season of the expansion era Angels in 1961. Bill Rigney played for the New York Giants from 1946-53 and was a .259 career hitter with 41 home runs and 212 RBI in 654 games. Following his playing career, Rigney served as the Giants manager from 1956–60, leading the club in its first season after moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958. He then became the expansion Los Angeles Angels' first manager in 1961, the year of this historic uniform offered. He later moved with them to Anaheim, and remained until the 1969 season, winning the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1962. Rigney and led the Minnesota Twins to the 1970 AL West championship before being replaced midway through the 1972 season. After serving as a scout for the Padres and Angels (1973–74), he had a second managerial stint with the Giants in 1976. In an 18-season managerial career, Rigney posted a 1,239–1,321 record (.484) in 2,561 games. After that, he served as a front-office consultant and a radio and TV broadcaster for the Oakland Athletics in the 1980s.
This marvelous full uniform hails from that inaugural season with the Angels in the tumultuous expansion year of 1961. The grey road flannel retains nice color and contrast in the base material and red/black felt identifiers. The seven-button front is original; both shirt and pants show game use but are largely problem free, save only for a bit of separation and fraying on the black felt of his No. 18 on the back of the shirt and a five-inch tear around the left knee of the pants. A McAuliffe tag (smidgen of wear to one edge) is featured on the front-left tail of the jersey and farther down a red felt tag displays black stitching with "Rigney." The veteran skipper added an attractive black marker autograph on the shirt's front beneath the script "Angels" lettering. The pants have "18 Rigney 35 27" stitched in red along the back of the waist; another player's name and number have been hand written in marker elsewhere along the waist.
Includes a Letter of Provenance from The Newport Sports Museum.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.