(LOT 82)
1954 Topps #201 Al Kaline Rookie SGC 96 MINT 9
MINT KALINE ROOKIE!!! Presented here is the rookie card of the famed and beloved outfielder who spent 22 years demonstrating greatness for loyal Tiger fans. This beautiful, red-backgrounded piece has always, and rightfully, been considered one of the Hall of Famer's most attractive cards. Offered is a spectacular 1954 Topps Al Kaline rookie card in SGC 96 MINT 9 condition. The quality of the item's colors, and its print resolution, are truly exceptional from both front and back perspectives. Consider that this is the one and only SGC 96 and realize this card is borderline perfect. "I was very, very shocked about Cooperstown. I thought my chances were fairly good, but I tried to stay low key about it, not too high and not too low. That was the way I played, too. - Al Kaline If most any other ball player would have said that, I don't think too many people would have believed it.

But Al Kaline, along with fellow Hall of Famers from that era like Brooks Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, and Ernie Banks were known to be some of the most genuinely nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Detroit signed Al Kaline right out of high school as a "Bonus Baby" in 1953, so he never served a day in the minors. As a twenty year old in 1955 Kaline broke out and became the youngest player in history to win the batting title, hitting .340 along with a league leading 200 hits. He would go on to be a 15 time All-Star, a World Champion, a member of the 3,000 hit club, and win 10 Gold Gloves for his excellence in right field. Like I said at the onset of this paragraph, only a select few ball players could have had the kind of career that Al Kaline had, and be "very, very, shocked about Cooperstown." - Al Kaline

MIN BID $5,000
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