(LOT 48)
"Unique for the Grade" 1963 Topps #144 World Series Game# 3 (PSA Gem Mint 10) - "1 of 1; THE SOLE PSA GEM MINT 10 Example!
The absolute wonder of the card hobby is how a seemingly ordinary card can be valued at a staggering price tag solely due to its high grade and/or low PSA "Pop Chart" stature. Such is the case for this miraculous 1963 Topps #144 World Series Game# 3 offering that stands as the SOLE PSA Gem Mint 10 example! Indeed folks, of the approximate 570 PSA encapsulated copies, this extraordinary offering just happens to be the only specimen fortunate enough to merit the perfect "10" assessment. Going into game# 3 at Yankee Stadium, the 1962 World Series was deadlocked at one game apiece.

Game 3 would see a nerve-wracking pitching duel between New York's Bill Stafford and San Francisco's Billy Pierce, with both teams unable to score as the game entered the bottom of the 7th inning. Legendary Yankees right-fielder Roger Maris, who the previous year had surpassed Babe Ruth's exalted single season 60-homer mark, would end the scoreless duel when he knocked in two runs via his 7th inning single. Maris would eventually score the third run of the inning that ironically turned out to be the "winning run" as the Yankees held on for a 3-2 victory. New York would ultimately win the '62 Fall Classic Series in a tightly contested 7-game contest, with the pivotal game#3 win represented on the 1963 Topps #144 subject.

The card is titled "MARIS SPARKS YANKEE RALLY" and portrays Maris (#9) leading off of first base after his clutch 2-run single. Breathtaking aesthetics substantiating the "10" assessment include the following un-improvable attributes: sparkling hues, immaculate surfaces, crystal-clear clarity, atypical near-perfect centering/no image "tilt", blinding white borders and pinpoint corners. Unique for the grade and synonymous with the Yankees irrefutable stature as baseball's all-time championship organization, its "1 of 1" Gem Mint 10 status secures its "best of the rest" standing!

MIN BID $750
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