This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/16/2015
The current high bids for the cumulative group of singles, $192,977.00, is currently higher than the total for the complete set, $188,955.00 (this lot is currently winning)
The life and baseball career of Hall of Famer Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige is so filled with folklore, hearsay and unanswered questions that he will forever remain the most enigmatic personality in baseball history. The one thing that we know for certain was that he was a superstar pitcher in the Negro Leagues, often compared to the greatest pitchers of all-time, and became the oldest rookie in major league history when he joined the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 41. At least we think he was 41; no one knows that for sure either. He also pitched three scoreless innings for the Kansas City Athletics in 1965, 12 years after his retirement and supposedly 58 years old at the time. After appearing in the 1948 Leaf and 1949 Bowman sets, Paige disappeared from the baseball card scene though he played all of 1951 and 1952. Looking for any advantage to top rival Bowman, Paige made his Topps debut in the 1953 series. The featured item is one of the finest specimens in existence, boasting just 6 others that can match it at the MINT level without a single example graded higher. The detailed artwork and exceptional color of the (thought to be) 45-year old Paige is flawless, with MINT to GEM MINT corners and a rich red nameplate that exhibits just a fleck or two of chipping. The centering is slightly off, as many historians say the player was too, and mildly favors the northeast corner. A spectacular piece, rivaled only by Mantle, Mays and Jackie Robinson as one of the most coveted, set-defining specimens in the series.