(LOT 10)
1887 Kalamazoo Bats N690-1 Harry Wright "Blank Back" (SGC 40/3)
One of the rarest baseball card issues ever produced is the 1887 Kalamazoo Bats cigarette cards distributed by the Philadelphia cigarette manufacturer Charles Gross & Co. Highly coveted by advanced enthusiasts, these ultra scarce artifacts seldom surface in any condition. With that in mind we are proud to present Harry Wright's 1887 Kalamazoo Bats card in a splendid SGC 40/3 holder. Currently, only 3 other SGC copies exist at this tier with NONE graded higher! As an additional testament to its utmost scarcity is PSA's population report only listing four encapsulated specimens, for a total SGC and PSA combined "pop" of less than 10 examples. Harry Wright's significance to professional baseball is equally synonymous with our Nation's founding fathers.

Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison, just to mention a few historical icons, were responsible for building America and likewise, it is Harry Wright who meticulously created the building blocks that helped shape our National Pastime into the game we so zealously treasure. Harry Wright joined the mid-west Cincinnati Red Stocking as a pitcher in 1867, and by 1869 they toured the entire country, not losing a game until the Brooklyn Atlantics upset them on June 14, 1870. By that time, his Red Stockings were the first baseball players to receive a salary for their play, and were the talk of the country with thousands of avid fans crazing baseball mania. Wright seized this opportunity to create the first professional baseball league with the National Association established in 1871.

Professional baseball was now ready to steal the hearts of millions of Americans, leading to its iconic designation as our country's National Pastime. Many of Wright's innovative ideas still exist today including pre-game practice, a live cork centered baseball, and, most important, overhand pitching. Additional exploits included patenting the first official scorecards and designing the basic uniform still worn today with knee-length knickers rather than pantaloons. Henry Chadwick, who is generally considered "the father of baseball", summed up Wright's unparalleled contributions when he called him "the father of professional baseball"! For these reasons alone, elite 19th century collectors actively seek Harry Wright's most prized cardboard artifacts with one of his most sought after cards being the elusive 1887 N690-1 Kalamazoo Bats card. An outstanding Harry Wright sepia-toned image graces the obverse side, portraying superb contrast and crystal clear clarity, with only a slight soiling mark situated near his right ear.

Wright's dapper formal attire is virtually un-improvable as the founding father sits on a 19th century style wooden bench, with additional highlights including his fine whiskers, period style hat and Marine like shined shoes. The bold sepia text beneath his immaculate image is completely intact, reading "Harry Wright, Man'g. Phila. – SMOKE KALAMAZOO BATS". The image somewhat favors the top edge, depicting excellent 'side-to-side" centering. Even corner wear accounts for the grade and the upper edge exhibits a slight angle cut. Both the obverse and blank back surfaces are relatively clean, with no obtrusive creases impeding the stellar eye appeal of this magnificent keepsake. The Harry Wright Kalamazoo Bats issue is one of the most coveted 19th century keepsakes in the card collecting circuit.

This offering, via Wright's "founding father" status, provides us with a direct link to the foundation of our revered game, and serves as an effective "time capsule" to our National Pastime's origin. In the late 1860's, Harry Wright decided to elevate a simple kid's game to the next level, placing the game on a "Professional" map. This esteemed Wright offering has virtually defied "father time", and anxiously awaits a new home in one of the most esteemed 19th century compilations!

MIN BID $5,000
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