Varsity letterman's jacket worn -- and worn to death -- by onetime University of Illinois pitcher John Ericks was signed by Ericks on the right sleeve with his name and "1985-1988" in black marker (8/10). Ericks, who had a 3-year stint with the Pirates from 1995-97, must've lived in the large-sized jacket given the use and abuse it's taken, but the orange "I" imprinted w/"Baseball" on the blue wool and tan leather jacket glows like a beacon. Labels fell out long ago and the inner lining is about to. If Ericks was loath to take it off, it's no doubt because the jacket represented the glory days that passed him by in the wink of a young girl's eye.