WRIGLEYVILLE — From his first day on earth, Randy "Boomer" Berman was a Chicago Cubs fan.
His uncle Jeff gave him a game-used Cubs jersey on Dec. 14, 1978, the day Berman was born. As the young boy grew up, the jersey hung on his wall, first over his crib and eventually in college dwellings.
Left: A 3-year-old Randy "Boomer" Berman poses with his father, Dave, and Chicago Cub' Ernie Banks, along with the jersey Randy received from his uncle. Right: The front of the game-worn, 1968 Cubs home jersey. [Provided/SCP Auctions, Inc.]
Berman, who lives in Rogers Park, always treasured the jersey worn by his favorite player as a beloved part of his childhood, but "I treated it just like a jersey — throwing it in the back of my truck when I moved," he said.
That is until Berman took it to "A Piece of the Game," a PBS sports memorabilia version of "Antiques Roadshow."
Since the No. 14 home jersey belonged to Ernie Banks, it was "an unbelievable find," memorabilia expert Rob Steinmetz said on the show.
"Perfect in every regard," Steinmetz valued it between $100,000-$150,000.
The uniform on Sunday sold for $137,865, according to SCP Auctions.
After months of contemplation, Berman, 36, put the jersey up for auction this summer. With bidding ending Saturday, the jersey was going for $104,443 after 13 bids. SCP Auctions Inc. lauded the jersey as a "breathtaking," "especially coveted gamer."
"Without question, this game-worn flannel ranks among the finest our firm has ever handled," vice president Dan Imler said.
Skip to 2:37 for Berman's story:
'A Piece of the Game' Episode 13 MAY 2015 from Don DuPree on Vimeo. [Courtesy of "A Piece of the Game"]
After the TV appraisal, Berman spent almost four months "going back and forth" with his family, trying to decide whether or not to sell.
"We didn't treat it as a $150,000 item, so realizing that was kind of crazy in your head. I'm not a big memorabilia collector, and I didn't even really want it on my wall — the next most expensive thing [I own] is my TV," he said.
But the jersey had sentimental value, and not just for Berman.
"My dad thinks of it as his, too. The first 10 years when I [was young], it was his prized possession," Berman told DNAinfo.
Randy "Boomer" Berman [left] and his father, Dave "Big Guy" Berman, hold up an Ernie Banks 1968 game-used Chicago Cubs jersey. [Provided/SCP Auctions, Inc.]
Banks — one of the most beloved Cubs — gave the jersey to Berman's uncle in 1974, after Jeff Berman coached Banks' twin sons in basketball at the Boys and Girls Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., near the Cubs' spring training home.
Four years later, Jeff Berman passed the jersey on to his infant nephew, although, "I don't think it was meant or thought to be a gesture of this magnitude, more like you just have a jersey and you give it to your nephew," Randy Berman said.
The family is close-knit, and Berman said he'll soon share the role of benevolent uncle after the auction. He plans to share his gains with his uncle and parents, as well as seven nieces and nephews of his own. He's also thinking about splurging on weekend vacations for the whole family and airline vouchers for the kids, who are between 7 and 16 years old.
Still, after 36 years, "there's still an empty space on my wall, and I don't know how to fill it back up," Berman said.
The Ernie Banks game-worn, 1968 Cubs home jersey up for auction until Saturday. [Provided/SCP Auctions, Inc.]
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