Patsy Donovan’s 1910 Red Sox Jersey Surfaces

Content Originally Published by Sports Collectors Daily on Friday March 11, 2011.

A century-old Boston Red Sox jersey once worn by one of the top players in early professional baseball has surfaced and will be part of an upcoming auction.

The exceptionally rare jersey was worn by the great Patsy Donovan, considered one of the best players in baseball during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  After his playing career, Donovan became a Boston scout and then the club's manager in 1910 and 1911.   Featuring a tie collar common to the era, the jersey is from Donovan's time as skipper.  SCP Auctions will offer it in its catalog auction next month.

A fleet-footed slap hitter who perennially topped the .300-mark,   Donovan entered the Deadball Era having already established himself as one of the game's most consistent stars.

Donovan's greatest accomplishment may have come in 1914 when he convinced the Boston Red Sox to sign a talented young left-hander named George Ruth.

One sportswriter called him an "excellent judge of the ball player in the raw."

Donovan wore the jersey while managing players like Tris Speaker, Joe Wood, Harry Hooper and Eddie Cicotte among others.   Manufactured by Wright & Ditson,  it has  Donovan’s name stitched in the collar and survives in original, unaltered condition.

The Donovan jersey will be one of the premier items in the auction, slated to begin next month at SCPAuctions.com.