(LOT 45)
Unique for the Grade 1912 T207 Brown Background Roger Bresnahan (misspelled Bresnaham) Recruit Little Cigars PSA 8 NM-MT – "POP 1"; The Highest Graded Example on the Combined PSA & SGC "Pop" Charts!
BEST OF THE BEST BRESNAHAN!!!... This POP 1 T207 Brown Background 1912 Roger Bresnahan (misspelled Bresnaham) marvel just happens to be the SOLE and HIGHEST GRADED example on the combined PSA and SGC census reports! Indeed collectors, not a single other Bresnahan example has managed to achieve the pinnacle "8" assessment, with PSA's prestigious Pop Chart indicating only a microscopic 0.3% of the 10,000+ total encapsulated copies for all subjects exhibiting an 8 NM-MT grade. Finding any high-grade T207 subject is an excruciating task, let alone a PSA 8 marvel representing a bona fide Cooperstown Inductee. Further substantiating the extreme condition sensitivity of the 1912 Brown Background issue is PSA only listing a single 9 MINT specimen (Edgar Lennox). These pop figures clearly justify why this Roger Bresnahan offering merits a final resting place in any world-class PSA Registered gathering. Originally brought up to the Major Leagues as a standout pitcher, HOF catcher Roger Bresnahan actually tossed a six-hit shutout in his MLB debut against the St. Louis Browns.

He would eventually try several other positions before finding his niche as John McGraw's first-string backstop on the Giant's 1905 championship team. While a formidable hitter and stellar defensive catcher, his most notable contributions to America's Pastime were the protective devices he created for batting and catching, prompted by his hospitalization via a serious 1905 bean-ball. He is largely credited for the first batter's helmet, protective catcher's shin guards and provided significant input in escalating the technology for the catcher's mask. An innovator to say the least, Bresnahan's classic half-squatting "hands on knees" catching pose reveals the bygone backstop with his mitt affixed to his left hand. The dark brown background projects the image in fine fashion, and the excellent centering reflects on a smidge of partiality towards the lower right edges. Preventing a higher assessment is negligible edge wear along the gray borders, and the verso includes the popular RECRUIT LITTLE CIGARS advertisement as well as a brief Bresnahan bio. The undisputed best of the best T207 Bresnahan, its extraordinary aesthetics and POP 1/highest graded stature immediately place it as one of the most significant T207 subjects extant!

MIN BID $3,000
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