(LOT 66)
1948 Bowman #36 Stan Musial Rookie Card PSA 9 MINT – Only One PSA Example Graded Higher!
STAN THE MAN ROOKIE!!!... Legendary Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial's uncanny hitting prowess is somewhat underrated; however, this incredible PSA 9 MINT 1948 Bowman rookie card stands tall as one of his most remarkable cardboard heirlooms! Only bested by a single PSA example, this inaugural Musial gem resides as the perfect testament to Stan the Man's remarkable batting achievements that for two decades were only contested by the iconic Red Sox slugger Ted Williams. One look at this hallowed "9" rookie card offering inspires goose bumps amongst the hobby's premier rookie card collectors, with its best of the best stature placing it as one of the most significant rookie cards extant. In 1941, the St. Louis Cardinals called up their 20-year-old star phenom Stan Musial, who in only 49 plate appearances provided the baseball community a glimpse of things to come by posting an unfathomable .426 average.

Indeed, Stan the Man was here to stay, and in the following 1942 campaign (his official full rookie season), he would bat a very formidable .315 as he was about to embark on one of the most spectacular careers in baseball history. This offering's incomparable technical attributes are synonymous with Musial's world-class exploits including a .331 lifetime average, 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, nearly 2,000 RBIs, seven batting titles, three MVPs and an amazing 24 All Star game appearances! Based on these esteemed statistical highlights, it's mind boggling as to why his name doesn't stand next to Ruth, Cobb, Williams, Aaron, Mays, Mantle, etc. Yet, elite enthusiasts actively seek his most precious cardboard gems, with only a handful possibly competing with this pack-fresh gem. Musial's classic portrait pose portrays the immortal slugger donning his period style Cardinals cap, emanating the finest possible contrast and resolution imaginable. Superb centering only exhibits a slight favoritism towards the lower right edges, with the pinpoint corner tips and near-immaculate image consistent with the assessment.

The only notable imperfection is some scattered toning along several of the borders, with the overall aesthetics conjuring up memories of opening a fresh pack of baseball cards. The 1948 campaign, the year this card was issued, would see Stan the Man lead the Senior Circuit in virtually every offensive category including RBIs (131), runs scored (135), hits (230), OPS (1.152), doubles (46), triples (18), and a blistering .376 average, the highest mark achieved in Musial's extraordinary 24-year career. No wonder his rookie card resides as one of the foremost inaugural cards for baseball's greatest all-time players including the likes of Ruth, Cobb, Jackson, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente and so many more of baseball's immortals. Imagine, only a fractional 0.7% of the 2,100+ PSA examples have managed to achieve the exalted "9" grade, with this grand offering's elite stature tantamount with Musial's pinnacle batting feats that will forever stand the test of time!

MIN BID $15,000
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