Having already poured it all out for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in a previous post, this post will be less detailed. At the same auxiliary souvenir stand at
Lackawanna County Stadium that I bought the
Darren Burton jersey — it was either called Stand 3A or 4A — I acquired what one would call a batting practice jersey. Rather than a full set of front buttons, it is a two-button pullover style jersey. It is indeed black, rather than the dark navy that accented all other Red Baron uniforms before and since. The numbers are fire engine red as opposed to maroon. While the Phillies updated their uniforms and color scheme in 1992, the Red Barons waited until 2003 to match their shade. I am unsure if I purchased it on an April 2005 visit to the ballpark (I think so), or at the 2006 home opener (less likely).
Until twenty minutes ago, I was prepared to give up on identifying the player this was issued to. I dug through old baseball card sets and team photos. I figured out that Gavin Floyd wore #21, Dan Giese #23, and Shawn Wooten #24 in 2004. I've struggled to determine who, if anyone, wore this in games, so I've called it team issued for the time being. Scant evidence exists that these tops were ever worn by players as the Red Barons notoriously rarely wore alternates in games. These Gavin Floyd pictures taken by Four Seam Images in Rochester prove their existence though additional photos from game action that same day show the Barons suited up in classic greys. This photo of Ed Yarnall from earlier in the season seems to have answered the question. The two inches of extra length for a six-foot, four-inch pitcher certainly checks out. Some conflict persists. His baseball card from that season shows Ed wearing a #51 home jersey. Since we're calling it a Team Issue anyway, let's go with it.
Looking back to my golden era of minor league baseball, I mostly think of
Yarnall as one of the most dominant starting pitchers during the International League's 1999 season. The Columbus Clippers were the strongest team in the league in terms of regular season and Ed was their ace. His 3.47 ERA was almost two runs better than any of the other Clipper rotation mainstays who made 20 starts. Five years later, with seven major league appearances and a trip to Japan sandwiched between, Yarnall took the mound wearing a different set of pinstripes. Ed would bounce around AAA for a few more years, winding down his professional career in familiar fashion, the last season split between the Mexican League and independent ball.
Details:
- Manufacturer - Russell Athletic
- Size - 48 (2" Extra Length)
- Date Acquired - Unknown
- Authentic Team Issue - Nylon excluding trim
- Two-color Twill Script/Numbers
- Issued for 2004 Season
