(LOT 31)
1912 T227 Chief Bender "Honest Long Cut' (SGC 55 VG/EX+ 4.5) - "1 of 1" SGC Honest Long Cut; Only 2 SGC Honest Long Cuts Graded Higher!
In 1912, the "Honest Long Cut" and "Miners Extra" tobacco brands included a single card representing one of the era's prominent sports stars. The "Series of Champions" 25 subject checklist included sports personalities from baseball, billiards, car racing, swimming, wrestling, golf, horse racing, etc. Four separate baseball players were issued including Ty Cobb, Chief Bender, Frank Baker and Rube Marquard. Highly condition sensitive, most of the existing specimens carry extremely low grades, substantiating why this SGC 4.5 "Chief" Bender Honest Long Cut is one of the finer examples in circulation, standing alone as the sole SGC encapsulated copy with a mere 2 examples graded higher! Hall of Famer "Chief" Albert Bender was the author of over 200 victories and four single-season E.R.A.'s less than 2.00.

Bender was called upon "time after time" by Connie Mack to deliver a crucial World Series win, and typically did not disappoint his immortal manager, winning 6 World Series games in assisting the A's in winning three World. Likewise, his sparkling and relatively well centered pitching image portrays championship caliber as he unleashes another one of his un-hittable pitches. The T227 baseball cards are among the hobby's finest aesthetically pleasing type cards via their brilliant coloring and oversized player poses, with this offering providing the sparkling colored hues expected from these seldom offered artifacts. Surrounding Bender's classic pitching pose are brilliant sky and grass green background highlights, and the Honest Long Cut verso is image is rather clean; the final compliment to one of the few mid-grade T227 cards that surface for the taking!

MIN BID $750
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