(LOT 26)
1948 Leaf #76 Ted Williams PSA 8 NM-MT
THE KID!!! This outstanding PSA 8 NM-MT Ted Williams marvel has only been bested by a meager eight examples on the prestigious PSA Pop Chart! This is the SOLE example at this illustrious plateau, with only a meager eight PSA specimens graded higher! Of course, it is the near-perfect centering that immediately draws the utmost attention to this Splendid Splinter memento, with most 1948 Leaf subjects subjected to awful image positioning. Additional pack-fresh attributes include a crystal-clear Williams batting pose, sharp corners, pack-fresh surfaces, and a vibrant orange-hued setting. Its high-grade stature is tantamount to Teddy Ballgame's undisputed stature as our National Pastime's greatest all-time hitter who ever graced a batter's box.

Indeed, from the time he was a young boy, it was The Kid's ultimate dream of walking down the street with people passing him by and stating: "There goes the greatest hitter in baseball history". Ted's steadfast loyalty and dedication to utmost excellence made this dream a bona fide reality, with his lifetime statistics including a .344 batting average, 521 round trippers, 1,839 RBIs and an unfathomable 1.116 OPS all combining to support that notion. If that isn't enough, his heroic stints in two wars, in which he shot down 16 enemy aircraft, solidify his legacy as the true embodiment of a national hero. This Boston Red Sox icon, via his myriad of hitting achievements and military heroism, captivated a country throughout his playing days, and it's no coincidence that the Splendid Splinter even managed to hit a home run in the last swing of his illustrious career.

Owner of two Triple Crowns (1942; '47), we cannot even contemplate what Ted's lifetime numbers would have been had he not lost nearly five full years in two wars, with Williams pacing the Junior Circuit in homers (44), batting average (.369) and OPS (1.112) the year his 1948 Leaf subject was issued by the renowned Gum Company. The incomparable Thumper was superior at his crafts, an unequivocal elitest who pursued all of life's endeavors with relentless fortitude while adamantly refusing to place second-fiddle. It was his uncanny eyesight that ably assisted him in being the finest hitter and fighter pilot imaginable, and synonymous with those exceptional skill sets is this compelling '48 Leaf treasure representing baseball's finest batsman, effectively defying the past 76 years!

MIN BID $5,000
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