This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/25/2012
Roughly 150 years since the advent of baseball, "Big Dan" Brouthers miraculously still places in the top 10 all-time in career batting average (.342) and triples (205). Along with Cap Anson, King Kelly, Buck Ewing and Tim Keefe, Brouthers was one of baseball's pioneering superstars that brought the tradition of the greatest American pastime into the 20th Century and beyond. For his efforts, Brouthers was paid a salary of $4,700 at the time he appeared on this N162 Goodwin Champions card, worth slightly over $100,000 by today's standards, a testimonial to how the economic structure of the game has changed. One of the highest graded specimens in existence and the only one that carries the PSA 7.5 label, this incredible relic doesn't even show evidence of being 24 years old, though it's actually 124 years old! The accurately framed central image is astonishing, exhibiting a bold sharpness and flaunting the various nuances of color and shade that epitomizes 19th Century craftsmanship. Each of the four corners retains its square shape, with evidence of mild wear only visible when viewed under magnification. The light toning of the perfectly centered reverse gives the only indication that this prize predates the Spanish-American War, when the USA was a nation of just 38 states. However, the black printing of the checklist on the reverse is still quite sharp and presents virtually as well as the front. What an opportunity to acquire an amazing artifact that celebrates the origins of baseball, incredibly preserved for well over a century!