This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
7/30/2010
Harry Wright’s significance to professional baseball is equally synonymous with our Nation’s founding fathers. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Hamilton, just to mention a few, were responsible for building this country, and likewise, it is Harry Wright who meticulously created the building blocks that helped shape our National Pastime into the game we so zealously treasure today. Harry Wright joined the mid-west Cincinnati Red Stocking as a pitcher in 1867, and by 1869 they toured the entire country, not losing a game until the Brooklyn Atlantics upset them on June 14, 1870. By that time, his Red Stockings were the first baseball players to receive a salary for their play, and were the talk of the country with thousands of avid fans crazing baseball mania. Wright seized this opportunity to create the first professional baseball league with the National Association established in 1871. Professional baseball was now ready to steal the hearts of millions of Americans, leading to its iconic designation as our country’s National Pastime. Many of Wright’s innovative ideas still exist today including pre-game practice, a live cork centered baseball, and, most important, overhand pitching. Additional exploits included patenting the first official scorecards and designing the basic uniform still worn today with knee-length knickers rather than pantaloons. Henry Chadwick, who is generally considered “the father of baseball”, summed up Wright’s unparalleled contributions when he called him “the father of professional baseball”!
For these reasons alone, elite 19th century collectors actively seek Harry Wright’s most prized cardboard artifacts with one of his most sought after cards being the elusive 1887 N690 Kalamazoo bat card. One of the rarest baseball card issues ever produced is the 1887 Kalamazoo Bats cigarette cards distributed by the Philadelphia cigarette manufacturer Charles Gross & Co. Highly coveted by advanced enthusiasts, these ultra scarce artifacts seldom surface in any condition. Even more obscure are related issues with prize redemption advertisement on the reverse side, with a majority of the existing examples portraying blank backs. Any example, regardless of the player and related technical grade, is worthy of a place in the most elite 19th century collections. With that in mind we are proud to present one of the most amazing 19th century cards in circulation, Harry Wright’s 1887 Kalamazoo Bat card in an unprecedented PSA 6 holder.
How rare is a high grade N690 Harry Wright? Consider that PSA has only encapsulated 16 TOTAL Kalamazoo Bat subjects with NONE graded higher and only this miraculous offering at the lofty “EX-MT 6 tier. Additionally, the two other Harry Wright PSA examples are both residing in PSA 2 holders, an incredible disparity between this single existing PSA 6 example and its closest piers. If you are wondering about SGC’s census report, this renowned grading company has encapsulated a mere six Wright Kalamazoo Bats with an SGC 40/3 the highest graded copy. Simply stated, this breathtaking Wright offering (including the ultra rare “Prize Redemption” reverse side) basically “blows away” the remaining PSA and SGC examples by three full grades as the “best of the rest”!
A remarkable Harry Wright sepia-toned image graces the obverse side, portraying absolutely pristine contrast and crystal clear clarity. Safe to say, of all the 19th century sepia toned type cards we have handled throughout the years, NONE could possibly compare to the mouth watering aesthetics radiating from this masterpiece. Wright’s dapper formal attire is virtually un-improvable as the founding father sits on a 19th century style wooden bench, with additional highlights including his fine whiskers, period style hat and Marine like shined shoes. The bold sepia text beneath his immaculate image is completely unblemished and as legible as the day this card was manufactured, some 123 years ago. While the image is relatively well centered, there is a slight “tilt” favoring the upper right corner. Clean off-white borders, strong square corners, fine edging and a nearly flawless surface complete a miraculous obverse side. The “Smoke Kalamazoo Bats” reverse side ad is completely legible, showing no major surface blemishes. Overall, this magnificent offering actually provides the eye appeal of a “near mint” specimen, but considering it already outdistances its closest counterparts by a full three grades, minimal emphasis need be applied to its true technical assessment.
It is critical to keep in mind that there are a handful of type cards in the card collecting circuit that are considered “sanctified”, so scarce and desirable that the mere mention of their availability immediately arouses the interest of any high end enthusiast. The 1887 Kalamazoo Bats issue easily falls in this category, with any example highly coveted by most 19th century purists, let alone one that is the highest graded specimen of the immortal Hall of Famer Harry Wright. This offering, via Wright’s “founding father” status, provides us with a direct link to the origin of our revered game and is an effective “time capsule” to the origin of our National Pastime. In the late 1860’s, Harry Wright decided to elevate a simple kid’s game to the next level, placing the game on a “Professional” map. This esteemed Wright offering carrying the seldom seen “Ad Back” has defied “father time”, retaining a majority of its original pristine qualities to survive as the finest graded Harry Wright Kalamazoo Bat card in existence, and would unquestionably be the focal point of any grandeur collection!