This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/7/2022
Graded Authentic by PSA. By the time he was 15, Mickey Mantle was playing semipro ball with the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, a local team of miners, former high-school stars, and even a former minor leaguer once in a while. One day late in that 1948 season, a New York Yankees scout named Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to evaluate one of Mantle’s teammates, a third baseman named Billy Johnson. But his focus quickly turned to the 16-year-old shortstop, who hit two long home runs, one right-handed and one left-handed. Both landed in a creek well beyond the outfield fence. After the game Greenwood approached Mantle and asked: “How would you like to play for the Yankees?” Mickey and his father were both stunned at first, but soon became excited about the prospect of Mickey becoming a Yankee. Greenwade explained that because Mickey was only 16 years old, he would have to wait until he graduated from high school before the Yankees could sign him. Sure enough, when Mantle graduated the next spring, Greenwade offered him a contract to play for the Yankees’ Class D minor-league team in Independence, Kansas. He received a $1,100 signing bonus and a salary of $400 for the rest of the season. In 1949 he hit an impressive .315 for the Independence Yankees in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri (KOM) League. The offered card hails from the inaugural release of Topps gym cards and was issued with the famed high numbered series. Graded as authentic the offered card presents at an exceptionally accelerated level and is far superior in appearance to most if not nearly all 1952 Topps mantle cards that have received a graded of Authentic from PSA. The Authentic grade appears as though it is a result of some very minor surface touch ups which really do not interrupt the overall look of the card. The corners are all of an appearance that shows light to moderate wear. The centering and colors are far above average in appearance. The reverse displays well with a light amount of wear apparent across the surface. A nice looking card for the opined Authentic status.