(LOT 442)
1914 Cracker Jack #6 Eddie Plank (SGC VG/EX 4)
"Gettysburg" Eddie, as he was commonly called, is one of the game's greatest southpaw pitchers, justified by his 327 lifetime wins and eight 20+-win seasons. The prestige associated with his renowned 1909 T206 tobacco subject has placed his vintage cards high on collectors want lists, with his esteemed Cracker Jack offering one of the most coveted Plank specimens in the hobby. Presented here just happens to be a superb SGC "VG/EX 4" of this legendary Hall of Famer that has only been bested by a mere 10 examples on the SGC census report! Still wearing his Famous Philadelphia Athletics uniform, after Plank's 15-win 1914 campaign, along with a number of other pre-War stars, he defected to the upstart Federal League for the 1915 season.

Plank would win 21 games and post a 2.08 E.R.A. during his 1915 campaign with the Federal League's St. Louis Terriers, eventually pitching his final two MLB seasons for the American League's St. Louis Browns. Synonymous with his pitching excellence, his representation on this offering is outstanding, with the captivating portrait pose and fiery red background presenting themselves beyond the technical assessment. The image somewhat favors the lower left edges, yet no obtrusive surface flaws (glaring creases, caramel staining, etc.) are evident, the corners exhibit a majority of their original right-angle formations, and the verso reveals a relatively clean surface and no major blemishes. Presenting itself in mid-grade fashion, the rather harsh assessment certainly takes a "backseat" to the splendid visual appeal, with this 1914 Cracker Jack Plank atypically eluding the archetypal caramel staining that plague a vast number of the remaining 1914 issued subjects!

MIN BID $800
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