(LOT 1734)
1969 Topps #95 Johnny Bench PSA 9 MINT
Presented here is a spectacular PSA 9 MINT 1969 Topps #95 Johnny Bench marvel that has only been bested by a mere eight examples! Considered by most historians as baseball's greatest all-time catcher, Johnny Bench played his entire 17-year in the Queen City, leading the Reds to two consecutive World Championships (1975-76) while belting 389 lifetime homers. The Cooperstown Inductee's combined offensive and defensive dominance placed him as one of baseball's finest players of the 1970s, with Bench capturing two MVP Awards in 1970 and 1972 as well as claiming the World Series MVP in the Reds' 1976 sweep over the N.Y. Yankees. His first full season was in 1968 when he claimed the National League Rookie of the Year Award, while starting his amazing streak of being on 13 consecutive All-Star teams (1968-80).

Topps awarded Bench with his first "full card" the following '69 season (his 1968 Rookie is shared with Ron Tompkins), and this particular "pack-fresh" offering portrays virtually every quality of a "perfect" Gem Mint 10 specimen. Aside from the breathtaking image quality, most notable is the fine centering and lack of any "tilt" that plagues most '69 Topps subjects. Along with his superior clutch hitting, Bench will forever be noted for his unparalleled defensive prowess including a "cannon" throwing arm to cut down would-be base-stealers, and this "MINT" 53-year-old memento is the perfect testament for his immortal standing!

MIN BID $1,000