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Decades-Old Yankees Jersey Verified as Berra's Rookie Uniform
12 Nov
Summary
- Yogi Berra's rookie jersey from 1947 discovered by cousin in 1959
- Jersey authenticated by Berra himself in 2009, now worth over $200K
- Jersey to be auctioned off, proceeds to benefit Yogi Berra Museum
In a remarkable turn of events, a heavy woolen New York Yankees jersey that has been in the possession of Ron Marino since 1959 has been confirmed as Yogi Berra's rookie uniform from the 1947 season. The jersey, which features the number 35 rather than Berra's famous number 8, was originally discovered by Marino's cousin Sonny at a Boys & Girls Club in East Harlem over 65 years ago.
Despite the unusual number, Marino always believed the jersey belonged to the legendary catcher. In 2009, Marino and his son Matt brought the jersey to Berra, then 84 years old, who immediately recognized it as his own. "If we had any apprehension, any skepticism that this wasn't Yogi's, he looked at it, and tears welled up in his eyes," Marino recounted. "He says, 'How did you get this? I haven't seen it since 1947.'"
The jersey has since been photo-matched and authenticated, confirming its use during Berra's second game of the 1947 season. Now, the autographed jersey is up for auction, with bidding already exceeding $200,000. The proceeds from the sale will benefit the Yogi Berra Museum at Montclair State University, which is celebrating what would have been the Hall of Famer's 100th birthday this year.
