This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2003.
Following the 1978 baseball season, the Cincinnati Reds embarked on a good-will tour of Japan designed to further the popularity of the sport in that country. Made up of players like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Ken Griffey Sr., George Foster, and others, the club was coming out of the Big Red Machine era and must have provided quite a thrill for the foreign fans. This jacket was used by Bench during that tour and subsequently presented to a long-time friend of the Hall of Fame catcher who had a minority ownership in the franchise. In the collar is the "Rawlings" manufacturer's label. Also on the inside is a wash tag. On the front are the "Cincinnati Reds" logo and the Rawlings "R" patch. The jacket shows use and is accompanied by documentation detailing its history.