(LOT 47)
1954 Bowman #65 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM-MT
BOWMAN MANTLE!!!... Following a difficult rookie campaign in 1951 that was plagued with self-doubt and led to a demotion to the Kansas City Blues, Mickey Mantle rebounded in 1952, earning his first All-Star nod while batting .311 with 23 homers and 87 RBIs. In '53, coming off a very successful season where he finished third in AL MVP voting, the 21-year-old Mantle was in full stride in the clean-up position as he clobbered 21 more home runs, drove in 92 and batting .295 for the year. In the off-season in 1953, the Commerce Comet had surgery to repair his knee that was injured when Mickey was a rookie and in 1954, he posted his first season with 100 or more RBIs (102) while batting .300 and leading the American League in runs with 129.

The already three-time champion could not, however, lead his Yankees team past the Cleveland Indians for a fourth straight pennant and Cleveland trounced New York by eight games before losing to the NY Giants in the World Series. The 1954 Bowman #65 Mickey Mantle offered here in a PSA 8 NM-MT holder presented glorious colors and pastel hues, a strong white border concluding at razor-sharp edging and corners. The surfaces are clean and centering only slightly favors the bottom and right side. Not too many issues surpass this high-grade example!

MIN BID $4,000
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