(LOT 72)
1949 Bowman #224 Satchel Paige Rookie PSA 9 MINT
ROOKIE!!!... Piggybacking off the immense popularity of Leaf's 1948 Satchel Paige issue was the Bowman Gum Co. when they included their inaugural issue of the immortal Negro league right-handed twirler in their illustrious 1949 set. The 1949 Satchel Paige Bowman rookie card currently resides as his second most valuable cardboard subject, trailing only the aforementioned 1948 Leaf single-print issue. Presented here just happens to be Paige's magnificent 1949 Bowman rookie card in a miraculous PSA Mint 9 holder, one of only 8 at this hallowed tier with NONE Graded higher. Indeed, this breathtaking "rare for the grade" masterpiece shares the spotlight with a handful of other examples as the finest of its kind! Satchel Paige's incredible popularity among serious baseball card enthusiasts stems from his iconic stature in our National Pastime's storybook history.

Hall of Famer Satchel Paige is the most celebrated Negro Leagues player in their illustrious history, even outdistancing the revered Josh Gibson in overall popularity. Born Leroy Robert Page on July 7, 1906 (allegedly that is!), Page changed the spelling of his name to "Paige" in the mid 1920's. His friends nicknamed him "Satchel" because in an early job whereby he was paid for each carried suitcase, he ingeniously rigged a pole to carry additional suitcases at the Mobile train station. His four-decade professional pitching stint commenced in 1926 with the Chattanooga White Sox of the Negro Southern League and ended 40 years later with the Peninsula Grays of the Carolina League at the age of 60! After finally reaching the majors in 1948 with the Cleveland Indians, he became the oldest rookie ever at the age of 42.

After 6 seasons with the Indians and St. Louis Browns, he continued to barnstorm and pitch professionally until he was called up by the Kansas City A's in 1965 at the incredible age of 59, pitching 3 scoreless innings in his final Major League appearance. His uncanny success was attributed to a vast assortment of pitches, tantalizing arm angles, and speeds. Regarding the latter, Joe DiMaggio was quoted as saying "Paige was the fastest and best pitcher I ever faced", after batting against him in a 1935 six-game tour that included one of baseball's premier hurlers, Dizzy Dean. This "Mint 9" dream card suffices as a perfect testament to his hallowed legacy with its immaculate-like technical attributes supporting the well-merited assessment.

Paige's timeless portrait image bears the finest imaginable contrast and resolution, set against a seemingly pristine cool green background. Virtually near-perfect centering, four super clean off-white borders, and pinpoint corners complete an outstanding frame, and both surfaces have eluded any glaring blemishes. In closing, this supreme Satchel Paige 1949 Bowman rookie card gem is synonymous with Paige's nearly unparalleled pitching stature; meriting the utmost attention from any advanced world-class collector via its impeccable "pack-fresh" aesthetics!

MIN BID $7,500
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