(LOT 157)
1951 Bowman #1 Whitey Ford Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT
CHARIMAN OF THE BOARD ROOKIE!!! One of the most coveted post-WWII rookie cards is the renowned 1951 Bowman #1 Whitey Ford inaugural subject, presented here in a brilliant PSA 8 NM-MT holder. Of the approximate 1,800 PSA encapsulated examples, only 2.6% have managed to achieve this lofty assessment with a meager five specimens graded higher! Amazingly, it has somehow managed to elude the typical wear associated with #1 subjects due to their placement at the top of many '51 Bowman baseball card stacks, ultimately rendering them susceptible to rubber band marks, sunlight, staining, etc. Synonymous with Ford being chosen by the renowned Bowman Gum Company as the #1 subject in this prestigious set are Ford's world-class accomplishments, earning him a permanent home in Cooperstown, New York.

Dubbed the "Chairman of the Board", the HOF southpaw tallied lifetime figures of 236 victories, a scintillating 2.75 ERA, an incredible .690 winning percentage, a record 10 World Series victories and 33 consecutive scoreless innings, with the latter breaking Babe Ruth's all-time mark. Similar to his top of the charts record streak is this remarkable offering that depicts a pack-fresh lithographic Ford image portraying crystal clear clarity and superb resolution. Most significantly, the classic pose exhibits excellent positioning, with most Ford rookies reflecting skewed illustrations. Preventing a higher grade is some scattered surface toning and subtle wear on the somewhat right-angled corners, yet the eye-popping aesthetics and abundance of factory-issued attributes more than justify the PSA 8 grade!

MIN BID $4,000
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