1977 San Diego Padres Jersey, Passed from Whitey Wietelmann to Tony Gwynn

Jersey featuring number 19, originally associated with Padres coach Whitey Wietelmann, who later passed it on to Tony Gwynn in 1982, marking the beginning of Gwynn’s iconic career with this number.

Description

This jersey pays tribute to the San Diego Padres’ 1977 design, originally worn by Whitey Wietelmann, a coach for the team who first donned the now-iconic number 19. Though Tony Gwynn would later make this number legendary, he inherited it through a unique moment in Padres history. Before Gwynn’s major league debut in 1982, Wietelmann, with permission from the Padres' equipment manager, passed down the number to Gwynn, personally handing over the jersey.

For Gwynn, this was a meaningful handoff—he had previously worn the less-desirable number 53 during spring training. You can spot this number on Gwynn’s 1983 Topps rookie card, capturing him before he claimed number 19 as his own. Whitey advised him, “Don’t disgrace the number,” a charge Gwynn honored throughout his career. Years later, Whitey acknowledged, “I think you’re doing all right.”

This jersey celebrates both the Padres’ heritage and Gwynn’s legacy, capturing the connection between two generations and the enduring significance of number 19 in Padres history.

Dimensions: 33" x 26"

At the time of its use or awarding, this item was not witnessed by a TRuEST™ authenticator. The provenance has been provided by the Tony Gwynn Estate, which is why it has received our Silver authentication.

Our authentication process, TRuEST™ is the most secure multi-layered, witness-based authentication process in the market. Items are taken directly from the source and backed by a 10x money-back guarantee. State-of-the-art covert marking and holographic technologies uniquely identify each item with a tamper-resistant Gold or Silver label and serial number. These holograms are non-transferable, and the serial number's history can be verified online.