Glove Worn By Jackie Robinson Expected to Sell for $750K

An auction has been announced that will feature the sale of a glove worn by the first Black man to become a baseball player in Major League Baseball history.

According to the auction site, Goldin, a baseball glove that was worn by Brooklyn Dodgers player, Jackie Robinson, is up for sale and is currently taking bids for the item until next month on October 1. The glove was used by Robinson during the 1955 and 1956 seasons. The memorabilia is a used Wilson A2054 Professional Model Glove and has been verified and authenticated by PSA/DNA. A letter of provenance is included with the purchase.

1955-56 Jackie Robinson Used @WilsonSportingG Professional Model Glove – PSA/DNA, Letter of Provenance Copy 😮
This is only one of two Jackie Robinson-used gloves authenticated by PSA/DNA in their database. #OnlyatGoldin
Bid now: https://t.co/CHPXLR97oL pic.twitter.com/WcBZHdJkpN
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) September 16, 2022

The item has been identified as a Bob Grim model fielder’s glove made by Wilson.

“Based on our dating of the glove, we can conclude that Grim became a Wilson endorser after his Rookie Year. During the 1955 and 1956 season, Robinson’s last, Jackie’s primary game glove was a bob Dillinger Rawlings model. The manufacturing date does qualify this glove as being in the Dodgers Clubhouse when they packed up and left for Los Angeles. Additionally, Robinson’s number “42” on the back of the thumb sleeve is in a style that has been photographed on other gloves game worn by Jackie (see attached). Robinson did use a Wilson glove as his primary game glove earlier in his career. Judging by the use displayed, the subject glove was used by Robinson as a back-up glove or during pre-game warm-up…”

Goldin has claimed that this particular glove is only one of two Jackie Robinson-used gloves that were authenticated by PSA/DNA. The copy of the original letter of provenance reveals that this item comes from a collection that was owned by Jack Semel. He was a longtime ticket holder at Ebbetts Field which was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers in Brooklyn, NY. Semel had seats from the mid-1930s by the Dodgers dugout, where he sat until the team left New York for the confines of Los Angeles after playing the 1957 season.

As a longtime fan and having proximity to the baseball field, Semel became friends with many Dodger players and executives. As stated in the letter of provenance, “When the Brooklyn Dodgers went to L.A. a lot of players gave him mementoes of their playing days in appreciation of the loyalty he showed them. Among these players were Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, etc.” This glove was one of the items given to Semel.

TMZ has reported that the glove is expected to be bought for $750,000.