This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/5/2022
After starring at Arizona State under legendary coach Bobby Winkles, Reggie Jackson began his storied professional career in the Athletics organization. Still located in Kansas City, the A's franchise took him with the second overall pick in the 1966 MLB draft. Reggie made his big league debut on June 7, 1967, and hit the first of his 563 career dingers on Sept. 17th off Angels hurler Jim Weaver. Presented here is Jackson's game-used Kansas City Athletics batting helmet from his '67 debut season, an extremely rare piece of baseball history.
Made by American Baseball Cap Company, the green plastic helmet has the team’s interlocking white KC logo painted on its front crown. An old-school style with no protective ear-flap, it shows a ton of use with stratches, scuffs, and contact marks galore. Brown leather covered foam padding rings the helmet’s interior head band with a circular piece of foam padding adhered at the interior top. Size “7 ¼” is written on the inside in black marker. Manufacturer’s labels have either been remove or worn off where adhesive remnants are visible. No other helmet from this early in Jackson's baseball career has ever surfaced to our knowledge. He played only 35 games for the A's in '67; his official rookie season was 1968 when he belted 29 homers in 553 at-bats.
Jackson has masterfully signed the helmet in bold black sharpie on the exterior bill with “My Best", "44", "Mr. October" and “My KC Gamer 1967” inscriptions. The helmet comes with JSA LOA (#Y39626) and an LOA from JT Sports to confirm its game use and provenance (gifted to an A's fall/winter ball teammate).