One of the goofiest stories of the 2016 baseball season took place in Chicago where Sox pitcher Chris Sale grabbed a scissors and tore up the team’s collared 1976 throwback jerseys so he wouldn’t have to pitch in one. The tantrum earned Sale a five-game suspension but it turns out he didn’t get to every jersey.
Outfielder Adam Eaton saw what was coming and managed to save his. The jersey was authenticated by MLB (before the game, apparently, which is a little disturbing) and it’s now sitting in a box at his house. Eaton regaled listeners of the CSN Chicago podcast with the story of what happened in the clubhouse back in July:
“I think there was quite an audience,” Eaton told Chuck Garfien. “And it was comical. I love Chris to death, and the beauty of Chris is that anything Chris does, he does full-bore. May it be working hard at baseball, may it be a bullpen, may it be a game.
“He had a feeling and he had a belief that in order for him to win the ballgame that day, he had to have a certain uniform on. And the team didn’t agree with him, and that’s what happened.”
Eaton and Sale were both traded in the off-season but Eaton says he’s hoping to get his former teammate to sign it.
You can listen to the three-minute interview below.
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Fans and collectors who appreciate vintage game-worn jerseys are getting a treat during the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 50th anniversary celebration.
On Monday night, the team held the first of three historical jersey displays at PPG Paints Arena with 18 original gamers dating from 1967-79 on display. Team jersey historian Joe Tomon was there to answer questions from fans who stopped by the display and provide some historical perspective to which most collectors and fans can probably relate.
“Most of the shirts are just great memories from over the years,” Tomon said. “When you start looking at the crest and the logos on the shirts, it tells a story. I was in high school when they started the franchise and I dated my wife through a lot of these, then we got married and life moved on. I’m really blessed that my wife is a fan too and she loves this stuff and understands my obsession with collecting.”
Among the jerseys on display was a blood-stained sweater worn by Jim Rutherford to the one worn by Hank Bassen, who was in net for the Pens’ first home game back in 1967.
“Some of the great stories we heard from some of the folks that were here who were season ticket holders back then or were dating somebody and going to the games for something to do at that particular time, has been fantastic,” Tomon said. “Some of the younger people are looking at them and saying how small they were and wondering how they fit in these things. It’s amazing. It’s been great, it really has been.”
Two more displays will follow: Tuesday, Jan. 24 will feature the Black and Gold Era (1980-2004) while Thursday, Feb. 16 will represent 2005 to the present.
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