Lot # 9: 1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig PSA 8 NM-MT

Category: Baseball

Starting Bid: $25,000.00

Bids: 34 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring Rarities 2022",
which ran from 4/29/2022 4:00 PM to
5/21/2022 7:00 PM




(LOT 9)
1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig PSA 8 NM-MT

'34 GEHRIG!!! "I'm not a headline guy. I know that as long I was following Ruth to the plate, I could have stood on my head and no one would have known the difference." – Lou Gehrig. Apropos to say the least, this articulate Lou Gehrig quote effectively sums up the decade of time the Yankees captain played in Babe Ruth's shadow. Fortunately for Gehrig, this magnificent PSA 8 NM-MT 1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig offering stands in no one's shadow including the incomparable Bambino, truly meriting its lofty hobby stature, and only bested by a mere five PSA examples! Its captivating popularity is substantiated by the sale of another "8" specimen breaching the $100K mark in December 2021, a sure sign that its unlimited investment potential continues to steamroll ahead. No esteemed baseball card gathering could possibly be considered complete without a high-grade Lou Gehrig Goudey Gum specimen residing as one of its centerpiece attractions. A Top 250 Sportscards keepsake, it comes as little surprise that two Gehrig Goudey subjects were included in both the 1933 and 1934 landmark gum sets. Subject #37 includes a Gehrig portrait image while #61 depicts the "Iron Horse" in a classic batting stance pose.

These highly coveted Gehrig cardboard treasures are seldom seen carrying lofty technical assessments, immediately placing this grand memento as one of the "Iron Horse's" most significant cardboard treasures extant. Ironically, Gehrig would claim the revered Triple Crown in the same year the Goudey Gum Company issued this landmark batting pose subject, with Lou pacing the Junior Circuit in virtually every critical offensive category for the 1934 campaign including average (.363), Home Runs (49), R.B.I.s (166), OBP (.465), SLG (.706), OPS (1.172) and Total Bases (409). Along with Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg, the immortal Gehrig was now regarded as the most feared slugger in baseball, finally removing himself from Babe Ruth's shadow since the "Sultan of Swat" would shuffle off to Boston for the 1935 season and ultimately retire in June '35. One of our National Pastime's greatest all-time players, Cooperstown inductee Lou Gehrig tallied an outstanding .340 lifetime batting average, 493 round-trippers and an unfathomable 13 consecutive seasons in which he batted in 100 runs or more!

Additionally, he teamed with both Babe Ruth and Joltin' Joe DiMaggio to ably assist the Yankees in capturing seven world championships over his stellar 17-year MLB career, a sheer testament to his unparalleled leadership and uncanny playing skills. Yet, for all of his seemingly unparalleled batting achievements, he will always be best remembered for his immortal July 4, 1939 "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech at Yankee Stadium when he bid farewell to his teammates and fans due to his tragic ALS illness. While Gehrig's accomplishments certainly didn't require a final exclamation point for additional notoriety, his sudden passing away at the tender age of 37 left an indelible mark within the hearts of every avid baseball fan, and his legacy will "echo for eternity". Synonymous with Gehrig's unequivocal immortality are the breathtaking aesthetics of this magnificent gum card that has stubbornly defied "father-time" for the past 89 years. Gehrig's crystal clear batting pose is virtually flawless, set against a brilliant cool mint green background that only reveals a pinch of "snowy" surface along the upper right frame barely visible to the naked eye.

Donning his classic Yankees pinstripe flannels and majestic cap, you can literally see the fierce intensity in Gehrig's focused eyes as he zones in on a pitched baseball that may well end up in the grandstands via his supernatural-like power. The extremely well-centered image only reveals a hint of partiality towards the upper edge, affixed between four super clean borders. Ultra-sharp corner tips, fine perimeter edging, a vivid "Lou Gehrig Says..." caption situated in the lower bold blue text box, no unsightly surface flaws and the verso's bold green typography are the final compliments justifying the hallowed PSA 8 grade. Indeed, this pack-fresh masterpiece effectively "turns back the clock" to an era when the iconic Gehrig ruled the batter's box in dominate fashion, teaming up with the majestic Babe Ruth to form a supreme "one-two" punch. Firmly standing tall as another one of Manny Gordon's pinnacle Goudey heirlooms, its previously mentioned $100K+ price tag officially tags it as a bona fide member of the esteemed "Six-Figure" price club, with its awe-inspiring "Iron Horse" batting image and world-class PSA 8 NM-MT assessment joining forces as a momentous dynamic duo!

MIN BID $25,000
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