Fall Premier Auction 2013

Imagine being a lifetime .298 hitter, with seven American League All-Star selections and a boatload of fielding records, plus a reputation as a great base stealer and one of the top lead-off hitters of the era, and yet at you're not even the best ballplayer at the family's Thanksgiving table. Such was the fate of Dominic Paul "Dom" DiMaggio, nicknamed "The Little Professor," the youngest of three major league DiMaggios, the others being Joe and Vince. Dom batted .300 four times and led the American League in runs twice and in triples and stolen bases once each. He also led the AL in assists three times and in putouts and double plays twice each; he tied a league record by recording 400 putouts four times, and his 1948 totals of 503 putouts and 526 total chances stood as AL records for nearly thirty years. His 34-game hitting streak in 1949 remains a Boston club record. Writer David Halberstam described Dom as “probably the most underrated player of his day.”

This wonderful cream-colored beauty carries four appropriate tags affixed to the front lower tail: Wilson and Tim McAuliffe manufacturers' tags, a wash instruction tag and a Size "44" flag tag attached to the Wilson tagging. Black embroidery on the back collar notes "DiMaggio" and "3 in S," indicating sleeves cut to 3 inches. The wool/flannel blend shirt is in simply superb condition, showing light to moderate game use and relatively free of any appreciable staining or soiling. The intricate red striping around the collar, front and sleeves is in similarly outstanding condition, as are all lettering and his No. 7 in black-and-red felt on the shirt's back. The shirt carries with it the well-known 1951 American League Golden Anniversary patch on the left sleeve, deemed to be an authentic replacement of the original. Includes a Letter of Authenticity from MEARS (A9).