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1923-24 Nacionales Jose Mendez #50 SGC 30 Good 2 - One of Only Ten Graded Examples....
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$11,100.00
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Description
1923-24 Nacionales Jose Mendez #50 SGC 30 Good 2 - One of Only Ten Graded Examples. Jose Mendez. His is a name far too many baseball fans aren't familiar with at all but should be. In an era where it seems walls are an answer, Mendez would have easily brought down baseball's wall of segregation and by all accounts would have been an all-time great that might have lessoned the shine of other pitchers of the era. His career lasted from 1907 through 1926, playing in the Cuban and negro leagues here in the US. A remarkable pitcher who evolved into a shortstop when arm troubles affected his performance. In 1912, John McGraw once said of Mendez, "If (José) Mendez was a white man, I would pay $50,000 for his release from Almendares" and described Méndez as "sort of Walter Johnson and Grover Alexander rolled into one." That's big praise coming from McGraw and that $50,000 in 1912 is equal to $1.3 million dollars in 2020. Record keeping of the era is spotty at beast and his official stats don't even begin to convey his true talents. Cuban baseball fans called him "El Diamante Negro" or "The Black Diamond."Mendez died young, he was just 41 when he passed away in 1938. When the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame opened in 1939 he was a member of the inaugural class. It would Cooperstown almost sixty years to welcome him as a member in 2006. The hobby has very few choices when searching for a card of this overlooked talent. Currently, the number of releases is less than ten. Offered is a rare, real photo, Nacionales card from 1923-24. The back reads "Obsequio de los Cigarros "Nacionales" or Gift of "National" Cigars plus "Place 10 series of 100 types. On the back the series was indicated by means of the letter plus the card number."
Graded SGC 30 Good 2. SGC has graded just ten examples. Our card is one of two graded Good with one higher. His portrait is sharp with fine detail. The surrounding border is nicely developed and is a constant deep black. Corner quality is what one expects from an excellent-mint to near-mint card. Adhesive residue staining on the reverse fully accounts for the SGC rating. A key card of the Cuban baseball card library.
Auction Info
2020 May 7 - 9 Spring Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction #50026 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
May, 2020
7th-9th
Thursday-Saturday
Internet/Mail Bids: 6
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 917
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20% of the successful bid per lot.
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