Team Issued = Game Used ?

[Ribbens]

Does a certified team issued jersey mean it is a game-used jersey? This is a baseball jersey with a Steiner COA from the Yankees.

[drcy]

Not always, but can be. Same with MLB authentication.

MLB only authenticates stuff as they directly witness for themselves with their own eyes (Saw the player take the jersey off his back, as opposed to found it in a pile in the lockerroom after the game). Thus, if a jersey is authenticated as team issued it may have been game worn. And I know of numersous cases where a photo-identified game-worn jersey got the team issued COA. But many team issued jerseys were just team issued and not used.

You will need other evidence-- wear/usage, photo id, other.

[Ribbens]

Thanks very much, this information is helpful. I have a lead on purchasing a team issued jersey and debating the purchase/expense.

[ooo-ribay]

I know you’re asking about a jersey, but with bats, game issued almost always means NOT game used.

[icollectDCsports]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

I know you’re asking about a jersey, but with bats, game issued almost always means NOT game used.

That's right. Almost anyone who can make a claim that something is game used is going to use that term rather than game issued. An exception, as pointed out above, is the MLB authentication program, which has strict guidelines on how the "game used" label can be applied in their system. Not sure how Steiner used that term, however, so may be worth asking them directly.

[Gary Dunaier]

Here's how MLB describes "Team Issued," as per their website:

Team Issued is a designation by an independent third-party authenticator who attests that the item was issued by the Club to its clubhouse. This designation is not intended to determine use of the item in any capacity.

Basically, that means the team can put a brand new, unused jersey in a player's locker in the clubhouse, and even if the player never wears it, never even has any physical contact with it, it still qualifies as a team issued jersey.

(At least, that's how I interpret it.)

[bgar3]

Sorry, wrong bat thread, thought I was replying to to the other one.