This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/10/2017
While the rookie cards of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays headline the legendary 1951 Bowman series, it's the debut pasteboard of Hall of Famer Whitey Ford that commands attention as the #1 card in the series. While Mantle and Mays were touted to be future superstars, Ford was a safer play in the pole position having posted an impressive 9-1 record with a 2.81 ERA, finishing second for Rookie of the Year honors. He also pitched 8 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run and notching a victory in the series sweeping Game 4 of the 1960 World Series. Not bad for a 21 year old kid. Ford never pitched in 1951 having served in the United States Army, and while the Ford RC doesn't carry the same iconic swagger as the debut cards of Mantle and Mays, it's actually in shorter supply at the PSA 8 level (43) than both Mantle (49) and Mays (74). The featured card is a perfect example in which to start a world-class assemblage with an above grade perimeter that is highlighted by borderline MINT lower endpoints, more than compensating for the usual mild centering preference for the right edge. The image quality is dead-on accurate and both the front and back surfaces are nearly perfect. An extremely difficult card at this grade level!