This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2021
For years known as "the Jerry Koosman rookie card" after his 19-12, 2.08 ERA season landed him just short of Rookie of the Year honors, it was card-mate Nolan Ryan who would eventually overshadow Koosman's 222-win career with 324 victories of his own. Known for his blazing fastball, the real secret to Ryan's success was his ability to break off a bending curveball that left batters frozen. While most Ryan/Koosman issues are woefully off-center, this PSA 8 specimen is pretty close to hitting the bull's-eye quite nicely, just mildly shaded toward the left horizontal edge. Moreover, the edges and corners appear at or slightly above grade with a surprising absence of chips or other imperfections. If you've yet to acquire a high-end example of Nolan Ryan's rookie card for your collection, you should strongly consider this one.