Steve Carlton's Last Game Glove

Goldin Auctions - July 2013
Lot # 237
Steve Carlton's Last Game Glove

While scrolling through the 'game-used' baseball lots for Goldin's July 2013 auction I saw this left-handed fielder's glove and stopped. It an odd moment for me. Complete with an inscription from Steve Carlton stating, "Final ML Glove", this beauty could instantly legitimize a Lefty collection. Far from "super-collector" status myself, seeing the picture of the aged player in a Minnesota Twins uniform took me back to 1986 when I started collecting...a time when each of his new cards was more sad looking than the one before.

My dad took me to Carlton's last game with the Phillies in June 1986. Probably sensing the end was near for the 4-time Cy Young Award Winner, it was a "better-late-than-never" trip. I remember a large portion of our drive being consumed with talk of Lefty and his heyday with the perennial contenders of the late 70s-early 80s. And, although he got roughed up by the Cardinals, that night made me a fan of Carlton's for life.

I enjoy looking at the premier Steve Carlton items, like this glove, that occasionally come up for bid. And, though my Lefty collection may be void of a centerpiece, I'll continue to keep my eyes open for one from his Phillies-era at a workable price...

Comps:

1982 Game Used Glove (sold with game cleats)
Leland's (5/2007): $3,927

1977 Game Used Glove
Grey Flannel (4/2010): $6,436

1984 Game Used Glove
Mears Auctions (11/2010): $3,974 (*resold in 2011 for $1,319 - Yikes!)

1972 Game Used Glove
Schulte Auctions (6/2013): $4,055 (did not meet reserve, was originally sold by Huggins and Scott in 2010 for $8000! )