The story behind Tug McGraw gifting his 1980 World Series jersey to a teen fan
John Romagnoli, 65, kept McGraw’s jersey for years in his dresser. Now he’s ready to part with it. The jersey will be auctioned off this week and expected to be sold for more than $300,000.
The pandemonium at Veterans Stadium had started to quiet down after the Phillies won the 1980 World Series when John Romagnoli remembered he was wearing an all-access credential. He was caught up in the excitement, Romagnoli said. And he had to see where his pass could take him.
So the 19-year-old walked onto the field, stepped into the dugout, and wandered up the ramp that led to the clubhouse where the Phils were still celebrating their first World Series title.
“There’s Al Meltzer over there and I’m just standing back taking it all in,” Romagnoli said, referencing the longtime Philly TV sportscaster. “I’m just thinking ‘Holy smokes. This is unreal.’ There was a lot of joy just like you see on TV.”
Romagnoli’s father, Lou, was friends with the owners of the Phillies who gave the Romagnoli family tickets to Game 6 against Kansas City. Three years earlier, the Carpenter family arranged for John Romagnoli to rehab at the Vet with Phillies trainer Gus Hoefling after suffering a knee injury as a high school quarterback. Romagnoli befriended some players that summer as guys like Tug McGraw, Mike Schmidt, and Bob Boone encouraged him to keep working.
» READ MORE: A fan kept Tug McGraw’s 1980 World Series jersey in his dresser. Now it’s being auctioned off.
But they lost touch after his recovery. It was back to high school, Romagnoli said. And then McGraw — the pitcher who fired the strike past Willie Wilson and sent the stadium into a frenzy — spotted Romagnoli in the clubhouse.
“It was an eye lock,” said Romagnoli, now 65 and living in Wilmington. “He said, ‘Oh my gosh. This is for you.’”
McGraw removed his jersey and handed it to the person he used to work out with in the stadium’s weight room. Romagnoli said McGraw encouraged him when he was a teenager and cried when the pitcher gave him his jersey.
“I think he liked me,” Romagnoli said of McGraw, who died in 2004 at 59. “He cared. We had a bond. He’s a special person. It was all just surreal. You’re just in the mix and it’s all happening. You’re kind of stunned just taking it all in.”
Romagnoli kept McGraw’s jersey for years in his dresser drawer, often taking it out to remember that October night when he stepped into the clubhouse. He’s ready now to part with it. The jersey will be auctioned off this week by Hunt Auctions amid the All-Star Game festiviites.
An online auction closes Monday night followed by a live auction on Tuesday at the All-Star Village at the Convention Center. It is expected to be sold for more than $300,000 and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the ALS Hope Foundation.
“Our family is thrilled that the jersey our dad wore for the final out of the 1980 World Series — the strikeout of Willie Wilson on October 21st at Veterans Stadium — has finally surfaced,” McGraw’s family said in a statement. “For more than four decades there has been mystery around what happened to that jersey, and we are grateful to have the rest of the story. Tug would appreciate the incredible story of its re-emergence more than anyone.”
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Romagnoli would sometimes forget to check on the jersey for a few months, causing him to fear that moths ate it or someone stole it. But there it was in a Ziploc bag in his drawer. He used to bring the jersey to his children’s schools for show-and-tell, but the best reactions came when he shared it with people who remembered that night. They couldn’t believe he had McGraw’s jersey. He never thought about how much it was worth.
“It was about the relationship and the feeling of a friendship,” Romagnoli said.
The jersey was authenticated by MeiGray Authentication via photo matching. The company said the jersey “conclusively” matched the one worn by McGraw in Game 6. It was the real thing. But Romagnoli already knew that. It’s time for the jersey to find a new owner. Included with the auction is the credential that Romagnoli wore that night and led him into the clubhouse.
“Life goes on and you want to share it with others. That’s where we are,” he said. “It’s like a Picasso. I don’t think it should sit in somebody’s living room in Texas.”
Ryan Howard was a three-time All-Star and champion of the 2006 Home Run Derby in his legendary run with the Phillies. With the baseball world coming together in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game, Howard sat down with Phillies Extra to discuss his All-Star memories, his expectations for a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, his outlook on the Phillies' season, Kyle Schwarber's chances of breaking his single-season franchise mark for homers, and more. Watch here.
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