Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons XXVIII
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
7/30/2010
It is not every time that we have the opportunity to realize our lifetime dream. For the great Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, achieving his dream of “walking down the street with people passing me and saying there goes the greatest hitter who ever lived” DID become a reality. The ‘Splendid Splinter’, most baseball experts agree is the greatest hitter of all-time. Williams batted .344 lifetime, hit 521 home runs, batted in almost 2,000 runs and had the 2nd highest slugging percentage ever (behind Babe Ruth), accomplishing this while missing five years in WWII and the Korean War as a fighter pilot! He is the last baseball player to hit .400 or better when he achieved a .406 average in his famous 1941 season. He accomplished al of this over four decades and at the later age of 39, was able to accumulate and incredible .388 average. His iconic stature will forever be etched in baseball history, and the his keen batting eye also assisted him in shooting down a significant number of planes in the two wars that he fought in.
We are proud to offer what is probably Ted’s most desirable card, his 1939 Play Ball Rookie card, graded a PSA NM-MT 8. Currently, of the 630+ examples encapsulated by PSA, only 12 or 1.9% have achieved a higher grade. The card itself provides a “splendid” black & white batting swing pose as Ted completes his unparalleled swing. Bright white borders frame the classic image that is, atypically, centered virtually “dead-on”, defying the off-center technical stigma issue commonly associated with this issue. Both the edging and corners are extremely sharp, and no superficial wear is evident. The reverse side bold black print registration is un-improvable, set against a blemish free gray background. Collectively, all of these favorable attributes assist in the overall “pack fresh” aura of this magnificent cardboard representation of a baseball legend. The spectacular aesthetics of this card lead one to believe this card might have been harshly graded, making it a possible candidate for at least a half-grade up-tick in PSA’s new grading system. Regardless, we can safely say it is, minimally, one of the finest “NM-MT 8” specimens on the planet!
Like Ruth and DiMaggio, Ted Williams will forever be categorized as an American hero, solidified by William’s being the best at his craft both in the batter’s box and battling enemy fighter air craft in two separate wars. It was with no surprise that when he stepped to the plate for his last major league at bat, he launched a long home run in Boston’s Fenway Park, a script that could not be better written by any Hollywood Academy Award winner. Little did people realize back in 1939 that when a young “kid” stepped to the plate, similar to the Williams image reflected on this card, they were witnessing the emergence of the greatest hitter in the history of our storied National Pastime. Simply stated, no card could ever symbolize Ted’s legacy more than this brilliant 1939 rookie card masterpiece!
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