August 6, 2020: Summer Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/6/2020
Heading straight from his high school in Baltimore to the Detroit Tigers at age 18, Hall of Famer Al Kaline received a $35,000 bonus while batting just 28 times in 1953. Two years later, he was the youngest player ever to win a batting title, hitting .340 and finishing 2nd in the AL MVP voting before his 21st birthday. One of the famed rookie cards from the popular 1954 Topps issue, this example of Kaline's debut pasteboard is in stunning PSA 8 NM/MT condition. The Kaline rookie, like those of virtually every rookie card of a Hall of Famer from the 1950s, has dramatically increased in demand and popularity within the last couple of years, and few if any can match the magnitude of this one at this grade level. Expertly centered with spotless surfaces and sharp NM/MT or better corners. A hallmark example for any high-grade collection.
1954 Topps Al Kaline RC No. 201 PSA 8
Click above for larger image.