Mar 19, 2025 - Apr 5, 2025
Addendum: Please read important photo-matching details at the bottom.
The closer in Major League Baseball has a thankless job. Take the ball in the 9th inning and record the toughest three outs of the game. Hall of Famers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman made it look easy, mastering their own go-to pitch to become the all-time leaders in saves. For everyone else, stuff is not enough. It’s about gamesmanship. Intimidation. Personality. Just ask Brian Wilson, whose flashy cleats, wild hairdos, tattoos and trademark black beard made his 95+ mph heater and nasty slider that much more effective.
From 2008 through 2011, “B-Weezy” saved 163 games (most in MLB over that span) for the San Francisco Giants and made three NL All-Star teams. In 2010, the jacked 6’ 1” righty grew a thick beard and sported a mohawk, dying them both jet-black, for an unforgettable on-field presence. His deadpan humor and antics off the mound made him the ringleader of Bruce Bochy’s colorful cast of characters that included two-time Cy Young winner Tim Linceum and the affable Pablo Sandoval (a.k.a. Kung-Fu Panda). “Fear the Beard” became a pop culture phenomenon in the Bay Area and beyond. More importantly, Wilson was dominant all season, saving an NL-best 48 games with a 1.81 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 74-2/3 innings as San Francisco won the NL West with a 92-70 record.
In the 2010 postseason, B-Weezy was even better. The Giants knocked off the Braves in the NLDS, upset the favored Phillies in the NLCS, and defeated the Rangers in the World Series to win their first championship in San Francisco, snapping a 56-year title drought for the franchise. Wilson closed out nine of the Giants’ ten playoff victories and did not allow a single earned run. For fans of the Orange and Black, two moments from that magical run live in infamy: #38 striking out Ryan Howard looking to end the NLCS and nine days later blowing a fastball by Nelson Cruz for the final out of the Fall Classic.
Presented in this lot from Brian Wilson’s personal collection is his game-used glove from that incredible 2010 championship run and beyond. According to Wilson, and confirmed by visual and professional photo-matches, this is the same mitt he used throughout the playoffs, including those two famous final pitch moments in Game 6 of the NLCS and Game 5 of the World Series. The black leather Wilson A2000 model fielder’s glove is well-broken in and shows a ton of use, with soiling, scuffs, and other marks from game action. The model number is stitched in yellow on the exterior along with Weezy’s bold 10/10 silver marker autograph and “2010 WS Final Out” inscription. All strings and structural elements are still perfectly intact. The locations of the knots and strings are key photo-matching elements.
This piece of Giants history is a true 1-of-1 just like the player beloved in the City by the Bay who recorded the most important out since the franchise relocated from New York in 1957. Includes signed letter of provenance from Brian Wilson,; two LOAs from PSA/DNA (autograph and glove); and photo-match paperwork from Resolution Photomatching (matched 2010-14).
Important Note: We know some players can fall in love with one glove and use it for a long time. Resolution Photomatching made conclusive photo-matches from the last out of the 2010 World Series until early in Wilson's final MLB season in 2014. The glove looked much newer in 2010 and the black leather gradually soiled and faded over this time. Due to its excessive amount of game use after the 2010 postseason, ResMatch deemed images prior to the 2010 W.S. too difficult to conclusively match in their paperwork. We looked closely at stock images throughout the 2010 NLDS and NLCS. Without question, it's the same glove. Brian Wilson confirmed this as well. The lengths and positioning of the leather laces are easy visual matches. Since ResMatch determined that Wilson used this same glove consecutively for four seasons -- and the fact that the leather looked relatively new in 2010 -- he most likely started using it late in the 2010 regular season.
Payment for your invoice must clear in full prior to shipping. All items will be shipped from SCP Auctions’ Laguna Niguel, CA office in the order that payments are received. Please allow up to three business days following clearance of payment for items to ship. All items will be shipped UPS/FedEx Ground unless you contact us to discuss an alternative shipping method. If you would like your items shipped in a different method, such as UPS/FedEx Next Day or UPSFedEx 2-Day, you must contact our Post Sale Services Manager Veronica Rodriguez by emailing customerservice@scpauctions.com to discuss alternative shipping instructions. Prior to bidding, please be aware of estimated shipping costs, especially for large or heavy lots. You may contact SCP Auctions for any shipping estimates lots you are bidding on or interested in bidding on. If you intend to pick up your items in person at the SCP Auctions office, please call us to schedule. Payment must clear prior to items being available for pick-up.