This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2017
If you never imagined that "The Splendid Splinter" might just have been the greatest pure hitter in baseball history, consider the advice given to 1952 American League MVP winner Bobby Shantz on how to pitch to Ted Williams ... "They said he had no weakness, won't swing at a bad ball, has the best eyes in the business, and can kill you with one swing. He won't hit anything bad, but don't give him anything good." Ummm, ok. That pretty much sums up the incredible prowess of Ted Williams, who won at least four league titles for runs scored, home runs, runs batted in and walks while leading in slugging percentage nine times and capturing six batting crowns, all while missing almost five full seasons for military service. Presented is one of the most enticing rookie cards ever produced and a staple of any world class collection; the 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams rookie card. Graded SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5, the first thing you notice, other than that sweet central image of Williams completing his lefty swing, is the perfect centering within the thick white border. Each corner appears to have MINT qualifications, with the bigger question being whether the top two endpoints can actually stake a claim for GEM MINT status. The slate gray reverse is virtually spotless and is highlighted by deep black print that offers a bio suggesting that Williams "has a great future according to experts." Yeah, could be! But seriously, we've seen MINT examples of this card before that didn't offer the same blazing appeal that this one has.