This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/6/2016
With over 100 years of New York Yankees dominance in the history books, one incontrovertible philosophy has withstood the test of time; if you're given a jersey number in the single digits, you're expected to do something great. While Bobby Richardson may not be passing through Cooperstown's doors any time soon, he was a driving force that propelled the Bronx Bombers to the World Series seven times in his 10 full seasons, capturing the World Series MVP award in 1960. Most importantly, his name is forever tied to the likes of Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as having delivered a history-making moment on the world's biggest stage. It's easy to recall Ruth's "called-shot" in 1932 or Reggie's 3 homers in 1977, but it's Bobby Richardson's improbable game-saving catch that instantly turned defeat into a championship. It was Game 7 of the '62 series with the Yankees up by one in the bottom of the 9th and the Giants had runners on second and third; the dream scenario played out by every schoolboy who imagined themselves a World Series hero. But those dreams always involved a wooden stick as the weapon of victory; this time the hero was a leather glove. Willie McCovey smashed a line drive up the middle, which would have brought both runners home and ended the series. But the ball didn't get past Richardson, who had moved one step to his right before the pitch, and that one step gave Richardson the opportunity to make a miraculous catch and send the championship trophy back to the east coast in the blink of an eye. It would be 15 years before the Yankees would again reach the top of mountain, marking Richardson's catch as the end the greatest championship run in sports history; 9 titles in 14 years. The offered Yankees road gray flannel was used by Richardson during that 1962 season as confirmed by the "Set 1 1962" tag inside the front left tail, and may very well have played a part in the most important defensive play in World Series history! The Spalding label is affixed to the outside of the tail with a script "Richardson" in red thread on a white felt swatch sewn into the collar, the number "1" appearing on the back. The jersey is completely covered with shades of infield clay on the front and back, expected of a workhorse infielder that gave everything in every game. While the significance of any Yankees gamer from the early 1960s would surely be worthy of a world-class collection, this classic beauty is potentially one of the most important jerseys of the great Yankees dynasty. LOA from Mile High Card Company.