(LOT 2)
1903-04 W600 Sporting Life Cabinet Type 3 Mount Denton "Cy" Young PSA 2 (MK) GOOD – One of Only 2 Cy Young Type 3 on the PSA Pop Chart!
EARLY 1900s CY!!! A sensational turn of the century rarity, this PSA 2 MK 1903-04 W600 Sporting Life Uniform Type 3 Cabinet reveals the iconic Denton True "Cy" Young's classic Carl Horner portrait image. Its rarity is synonymous with Young's unbreakable records of 511 wins and 749 complete games, with only two defined Type 3 Mounts listed on the PSA Pop Chart (SGC does not distinguish Type 1-4 Mounts for Young). While PSA lists three Cy Young examples without any definitive type, a majority if not all of these most likely portray the more common Type 4 Mount. The prestigious turn of the century W600 Sporting Life Cabinet Prototypes were issued from 1902 through 1911 by the Sporting Life weekly newspaper, measuring approximately 5" x 7-1/2".

Originally issued in transparent/glassine envelopes for three 2-cent stamps and a coupon from the Sporting Life periodical, it was revised to request a particular player for 10 cents apiece or 12 for a dollar. The earliest released 1902 cabinets portray players boasting Carl Horner's portrait images primarily in formal attire, with later issues exhibiting players in uniform. W600s were released in Type 1, 2, 3, and 4 Mount formats, distinguished by their different lower border designs. This 1903-04 Type 3 mount is validated by the absence of the "COMPLIMENTS OF" text directly above the crossed bats and was first released in August 1903, with late 1902 and earlier 1903 Type 2 Mounts including this obscure caption. A time-defying treasure, it was issued the year Cy's Boston Americans would claim baseball's inaugural 1903 World Series title.

Although Young's Beantown club would once again win the AL Pennant the following season, the NY Giants refused to play Boston in the 1904 Fall Classic as a result of manager John McGraw's outburst at AL President Ban Johnson who suspended McGraw in the 1902 campaign (as well as Giant's President J.T. Brush considering the AL an inferior league). Cy Young obtained this legendary nickname when he was trying out for the Canton, Ohio minor league team in 1889. One of his blazing fastballs whizzed past the catcher and broke the rear fence, prompting a reporter to state, "The fence looked as if it had been hit by a cyclone!" Word of this quote spread like a brushfire throughout the local town, and the "Cy" nickname was forever etched in stone. Tantamount with Young's pinnacle standing are the stellar aesthetics of the classic Carl Horner portrait Young, likewise seen on Cy's iconic 1909 E90-1, 1909-11 T206, and 1911 M116 subjects.

The crystal-clear illustration literally jumps off the card, with his revered "DENTON ("CY") YOUNG" name affixed directly beneath the hallowed image. Even corner wear is more consistent with a VG example; no notable creases are evident, and some stray soiling along the left and lower borders accounts for the 2 assessments. Of utmost significance, the critical "SPORTING LIFE PHILADELPHIA" and crossed bats with baseball emblem indicating its Type 3 status are completely intact. For full disclosure, accounting for the MK qualifier is a bold black "Young, Denton True" script near the blank back's upper edge as well as an area of horizontal residue near the lower edge, possibly due to prior adhesion. One of the immortal Cy Young's most coveted turn of the century artifacts, it boasts his incomparable Carl Horner portrait image, which truly stands as one of the hobby's cornerstone poses. While you can easily find this exalted illustration on some of Young's previously mentioned 1909 "E" and "T" cards, nailing down an early 1900s W600 cabinet is an excruciating task. This notion more than justifies the museum-worthy stature of this time-defying heirloom, which suffices as a perfect testament to Cy Young's unparalleled stature!

MIN BID $5,000
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