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Identifying 2003 Majestic jerseys

Recently, I saw three Cardinals jerseys at auction purported to be worn by Pujols (2004), Edmonds (2006) and La Russa (2006). Something didn't look right about them, though. On the logo, where the bat handle meets the knob, each jersey had a navy area meant to suggest a shadow. So, I started looking at photos and examining my exemplar jerseys. I learned that this shadow first appeared when the logo was redesigned in 1998. It appeared on Rawlings-made jerseys through 2002 and on the first Majestic jerseys in 2003. But, in 2004 and later, the shadow was gone, replaced by a single line of navy embroidery.

Why would jerseys from 2004 and 2006 have a feature that was last used in 2003? It's possible the jerseys were made from old shells, but that's something typically done for rookies and guys who come over in trades. Stars like Pujols and Edmonds don't get leftovers. I decided the jerseys were suspect and contacted the auction house. But, my curiosity was piqued. If the shadow changed from 2003 to 2004, what else did Majestic change? After all, Majestic didn't always include year flags on their jerseys, especially the first few years they made them for the Cardinals. Is it possible to discern a 2003 shell from a later shell if there's no year flag to help?

I started by taking high-resolution photos of the birds and the letters on jerseys from 2002 (the last Rawlings jersey) through 2010. After examining them side by side, it was apparent that Majestic made a sincere attempt in 2003 to replicate the birds-on-bat logo used by Rawlings. While the quality of work is nowhere close, the details suggest Majestic tried to remain faithful to the logo design. By 2004, though, the logo changed in several ways. In addition to the knob shadow being eliminated:

  • The left bird's beak shrank, became less defined and almost round. The black face mask lost its sharp points, especially the "V" at the bottom, which evolved into almost a 90-degree angle. The bird's head feathers were less defined and its forehead was more pronounced. And the legs narrowed as just one line of navy embroidery was used instead of two.
  • The right bird's beak also was smaller and rounder and its legs also became thinner. The shadow under the knob in 2003 became a single line of embroidery in 2004.
  • At the end of the "CAR," there's a minor change in the navy outline. In 2002, the red embroidery was not outlined completely in navy; it remained open at the end. In 2003, it was closed; the navy outline was virtually straight up and down. In 2004, the red was outlined completely, but the end border ran at an 11 o'clock to 5 o'clock angle.
  • Preceding the "DINALS," the cursive "connector" was quite a bit longer in 2004 than in 2003.

All of the changes I saw on the 2004 jersey remained consistent through 2010.

One more note about Majestic's 2003 Cardinals jerseys. When the company made its first set for the team for spring training, it used its standard shell. The second button on those jerseys was close to the top button, leaving a large gap between the second and third buttons. This is called the "pro button" style, and the gap is intended to accommodate lettering across the chest. Unfortunately, the weight of the Cardinals logo caused the placket to sag from a lack of support. As a stop-gap measure, Velcro was added to the jerseys during spring training. By opening day, the Cards' jerseys had buttons spaced like those used through 2002, but Velcro was still added to most shirts. By 2004, Majestic was able to support the embroidery without Velcro. I have seen one photo of a player -- Woody Williams -- wearing a pro button jersey during the 2003 regular season. That's the exception, not the rule. Cardinals jerseys with pro buttons should be considered 2003 spring training shirts.

Based on my research, I've concluded that 2003 Cardinals jerseys made by Majestic have several characteristics that differentiate them from jerseys made in 2004 and later. Even without the Velcro and the year flags, 2003 shells can be identified by several distinct details in the birds-on-bat logo. While it's possible 2003 shells were used for some players in 2004 (or later), I wouldn't assume it was the norm. After all, by 2003, the team had started selling used jerseys to the public and receiving new sets from Majestic every year.

So, if you're offered a post-2003 jersey that features all the characteristics of a 2003 shell, do your homework, find as many photos as you can and don't spend your hard-earned money on something that may not be what it's advertised to be.