Ted Williams reported ten days late to spring training with the Red Sox in 1938 and when he did, the equipment manager Johnny Orlando explained "The Kid is Here" and the nickname stuck. He only lasted with the Red Sox for about a week and relatively few images were taken of the youngster, with this extreme rarity being the only example we have ever handled. Pictured in full uniform and with his bat over his shoulder, Williams is looking cocky, like he knows how good he was to become. Despite being sent to Minneapolis for some seasoning just a few days after this photograph was taken, he would become one of the greatest players in baseball history. The photo was issued by the Associated Press and it exhibits nice clarity with the specimen having a bit of staining and creasing to the lower left corner. Encapsulated by PSA as a Type 1, this is an incredible piece of baseball history that looks better than the technical grade with note some a slight trim that removed a third player that was originally in the image.

Size: 5x6.75
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 8/10