March 2016 Sports Card & Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/6/2016
Graded SGC 55. Walter Johnson was one of the most dominating hurlers of his era and was rightfully enshrined in the Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1936. That 1936 class consisted of fellow baseball royalty bearing names like Cobb, Ruth, Mathewson, and Wagner. In 1911, famed sportswriter Grantland Rice popularized the nickname “The Big Train” in referring to Johnson. At a time when trains were the fastest things known to man, Ty Cobb recalled Johnson’s fastball as “Just speed, raw speed, blinding speed, too much speed”. From his rookie year in 1907 to his last year in 1927 the "Weiser Wonder" played his entire career with the Washington Senators and during that span he amassed a whopping 417 wins and a diminutive 2.17 ERA.
The presented card is a magnificent example of Johnson's Hand at Chest pose from the widely recognized T206 set. One would be hard pressed to find any obvious flaws in this card as the overall eye appeal is stunning. Having all the attributes of an EX+ card, we feel the only reason for the harsh grading assessment is due to a minute indentation on the lower left portion of the reverse side. The scarce Piedmont Factory 42 reverse when coupled with a top tier Hall of Famer makes this a worthy addition for fans of high end baseball collectibles.
Condition: VG/EX+
RARE 1911 T206 Walter Johnson - Piedmont Back - Hands At Chest - SGC 55 (4.5) - Factory No. 42 - HOF
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