This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/24/2016
Early in 1956, the then-Brooklyn Dodgers were invited by Matsutaro Shoriki, the founder of the Yomiuri Shimbun and the “Father of Japanese professional baseball,” to make a trip to Japan following the regular season. The Dodgers’ legendary owner Walter O’Malley spent a good deal of time to ensure that the key Dodgers players would make the trip before responding, and certainly wanted upstart phenom pitcher Don Drysdale, just 19 years of age, to make the trek. This lot features the young, right-handed pitcher’s Tour of Japan worn kimono from that very trip. The dark blue satin kimono features a pair of embroidered baseballs on the front with Kanji (Japanese) letters below each ball. On one lapel it spells "Dodgers," while the other lapel spells out "Drysdale." Beautifully embroidered cherry blossoms adorn the bottom of the kimono. On the reverse is "Dodgers" embroidered in white script, with a giant embroidered, off-orange colored "B" for Brooklyn just below it. A beautiful keepsake still in pristine condition commemorating the Dodgers’ memorable trip in ’56 to the Far East.
Includes LOA from the Drysdale Family.