This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 6/10/2024.
The late Roberto Clemente was a Hall of Fame right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirate whose life ended tragically on Dec. 31, 1972, at the age of 38. A great humanitarian, Clemente died in a plane crash while en route to deliver aid and supplies to victims of a deadly earthquake in Nicaragua. The overloaded plane crashed into the ocean and his remains were never found. Prior to his death, Clemente had just completed his 18th season in Major League Baseball and was one of the game’s greatest players and off-the-field ambassadors. Not only had he helped lead the Pirates to a pair of World Series titles (1960 and ‘71), he posted incredible personal stats along the way: 15-time All-Star; 12-time Gold Glove Award winner; four-time N.L. batting champion; and N.L. MVP in 1966. He collected exactly 3,000 hits during his prolific career and had a lifetime batting average of .317. Following his untimely death, the Baseball Hall of Fame waived its mandatory five-year waiting period and inducted Clemente posthumously in 1973. This lot offers a game-used glove Clemente wore during his 1968 Gold Glove campaign. This is a Rawlings professional model XGG-1 outfielder’s glove. Clemente’s number (21) appears in black marker on the back of the pinky finger sleeve. The style of the ‘21’ is seen frequently on game-used Clemte items during the mid 1960’s through 1972. Rawlings top grade tanned ‘Heart of the Hide’ Horween leather, bound with tanned rawhide laces and nylon stitching. The fingers are highlighted with neutral welting. Features include a closed ‘FastBack’ wrist enclosure with a horizontal finger ‘Holster’ and adjustable wrist strap, a ‘Basket’ web, a dual laced palm hinge and a ‘Deep Well Pocket’. Manufacturer’s labeling includes a red silk Rawlings label on the back of the glove and lightly branded ‘Rawlings’ on the heel. This glove is properly marked, presented to us as game-used and in our opinion shows excellent wear. This glove comes directly from the collection of Reggie Jackson and is accompanied by a letter from PSA/DNA.