(LOT 1299)
c.1951 Johnny Podres 4" x 5" Type 1 Original William Jacobellis Contact Photo Used for the 1954 Topps Image Card - PSA Encapsulated
Prior to joining the big club in 1953, Johnny Podres went 21-11 in 1951 with the Newport News Dodgers and Hazard Bombers, Brooklyn's minor league affiliates. Then posted a 5-5 record for the AAA Montreal Royals in 1952. Renowned NY sports photographer William Jacobellis snapped this posed image of the left-handed teenager in 1951 warming up with the Brooklyn squad. Based upon the glove and baseball patch on Podres left sleeve, this photo can be dated to the 1951 campaign celebrating the 75th Anniversary though Podres was two years from an starting position with Brooklyn and four years removed from his 2-0 complete game shutout in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series against the New York Yankees. This 4" x 5" original black-bordered Type 1 photo is marked "Johnny Podres" at the bottom in white ink prior to development. The borders and corners remain in good condition with light aging visible at the edges and corners. The reverse is clean with the "WILLIAM N. JACOBELLIS" stamp at center and "John Podres - Brooklyn Dodgers" in pencil at the bottom. As was the case with many of the Jacobellis images, the Topps and Bowman companies utilized his photographs to create trading cards of players across the Major Leagues. Podres debuted in 1953 and then went 11-7 in 1954 when Topps used this photograph to create their #166 card of the lefty as the secondary black-and-white image against a larger color head shot of Pods. This is a beautiful pre-rookie photograph of Podres as a youngster that Topps found to be worthy of the highly desirable 1954 Topps issue.

MIN BID $200