Offered here is a vintage 1950s Brooklyn flannel wool baseball jersey made by Rawlings. Based on information I have received from fellow collectors, I believe this may have been worn by catcher Herb Olson during the 1955 spring training in Florida. Olson played for several minor league teams in the Dodgers system, including the teams in Mobile, Fort Worth, St. Paul, and Montreal (the same team that Jackie Robinson played for before Branch Rickey called him up to the Big Leagues in 1947). He also travelled with a group of Dodgers to Japan during the off-season in 1956 as part of a Goodwill Tour. The jersey has sewn blue numbers sewn on the back. The jersey has good evidence of use but is in nice condition. It has the Rawlings tag in the neck, indicating a size 42, with some fraying (see photo). From my research, Rawlings indeed supplied uniforms to the Dodgers during several seasons in the 1950’s. (It appears that MacGregor and Spalding also supplied some of the uniforms during various seasons). A separate wash and care tag is sewn on the inside of the left tail of the jersey, which is consistent with other Brooklyn Dodgers jerseys I’ve seen (including a Roy Campanella jersey from 1957). The year and set fly tag that should be sewn just to the right of the wash tag has been cut-off, perhaps indicating that this jersey was recycled for use during another season. The jersey has 6 circular vents (3 under each armpit). There are 4 grey buttons on the front and one appears to be missing (the second from the top). In other words, there are 5 button holes with 4 buttons that match-up to the holes. The button that should match-up with the second button hole is missing. The jersey has a the team name “Dodgers” sewn in heavy blue flannel felt script across the chest. Blue piping is professionally stitched along the neckline and sleeves. The sleeves are professionally hemmed and the sleeves have multi-piece professional stitching. All of this is consistent with jerseys worn by the Dodgers in the 1950s. (See, for example, the photos of the Dodgers catching staff, which I believe includes Olson, Walter Alston, and Don Zimmer from the mid to late 1950s). Finally, there is use consistent with this jersey originating from the 1950s. For example, the blue stitching is a bit faded and grey flannel shows subtle aging. There’s also a small hole (possibly from a cigar or cigarette burn) in the right shoulder. Overall, it’s a beautiful piece from one of the legendary team2 and franchises in baseball and sports history. Here are some additional measurements. Pit to Pit: 22.5. Collar to base: 31.5. Shoulder to cuff: 14. The item “Vintage 1950s Brooklyn DODGERS Game Worn Flannel Baseball Jersey #52 Herb Olsen” is in sale since Sunday, March 01, 2015. This item is in the category “Sports Mem, Cards & Fan Shop\Game Used Memorabilia\Baseball-MLB\Jerseys”. The seller is “gwynnitas” and is located in McLean, Virginia. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States