This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/10/2017
Mickey Mantle had accomplished just about everything a baseball legend could by 1961 and was still just 28 years old. An AL Triple Crown, multiple MVP awards and several home run titles were already sealed in the back pocket of "The Commerce Comet." But Mick was about to embark on a new but not unexpected challenge, taking aim at Babe Ruth's long standing record of 60 homers in a season. With teammate Roger Maris going stroke for stroke with him, the "M&M boys" slugged their way toward taking down "The Sultan of Swat." A late season injury knocked Mantle out of the home run race, though he did finish with a career high 54 round-trippers, and with 374 lifetime homers before his 30th birthday, many baseball aficionados were looking toward Mantle as a candidate for an even bigger Ruth record, all-time home run king. Featured is an incredible MINT example of Mickey Mantle's Topps card from that remarkable season, and the brilliant white border and nearly flawless endpoints immediately serve notice that the lofty grade is completely justified. The image of the Yankee icon in the prime of his career is beyond reproach, perfectly precise and supported by vivid red and yellow nameplates. The green and black reverse is flawlessly presented, not allowing even the slightest hint of imperfection. Only 2 others have managed a higher grade, and on another day, perhaps this one could have made it a trio at the top of the PSA grading scale.