(LOT 40)
1948 Leaf #76 Ted Williams PSA 8 NM-MT
TEDDY BALLGAME!!!... This spectacular PSA 8 NM-MT 1948 Leaf #76 Ted Williams marvel has been bested by only eight PSA examples! The excellent centering immediately draws attention to this Splendid Splinter memento, with the classic Williams batting illustration revealing only a modest partiality towards the lower edge. As vintage collectors are well aware, a myriad of 1948 Leaf subjects are subjected to seriously skewed images due to factory sheet cutting issues, and locating any subject with eye-pleasing positioning is an excruciating chore. Additional pack-fresh attributes include a crystal-clear Williams pose, sharp corners, pack-fresh surfaces, and a vibrant blood-orange setting. For full disclosure, we duly note that the lower blue text box reflecting Ted William's name is slightly shifted towards the right edge; however, this minor printing defect does not impede the card's overall outstanding aesthetics.

Its high-grade stature is tantamount to Teddy Ballgame's undisputed stature as our National Pastime's greatest hitter who ever graced a batter's box. Indeed, from the time he was a young boy, it was The Kid's ultimate dream of walking down the street with people passing him by and stating: "there goes the greatest hitter in baseball history". Ted's steadfast loyalty and dedication to utmost excellence made this dream a bona fide reality, with his lifetime statistics including a .344 batting average, 521 round trippers, 1,839 RBIs and an unfathomable 1.116 OPS all combining to support that notion. If that isn't enough, his heroic stints in two World Wars, in which he shot down 16 enemy aircraft, solidify his legacy as the true embodiment of a national hero. This Boston Red Sox icon, with his myriad of hitting achievements and military heroism, captivated a country throughout his playing days, and it's no coincidence that the Splendid Splinter even managed to hit a home run in the last swing of his illustrious career.

Owner of two Triple Crowns (1942; '47), we cannot even begin to contemplate what Ted's lifetime numbers would have been had he not lost nearly five full years in two wars, with William pacing the Junior Circuit in homers (44), batting average (.369) and OPS (1.112) the year this grand offering was issued by the renowned Leaf Gum Company. The incomparable Thumper was superior at his crafts, an unequivocal elitist who pursued all of life's endeavors with relentless fortitude while adamantly refusing to place second-fiddle. It was his uncanny eyesight that ably assisted him in being the finest hitter and fighter pilot imaginable, and synonymous with those exceptional skill sets comes along this compelling '48 Leaf representation of The Kid!

MIN BID $4,000
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