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Lot # 3: 1940 Josh Gibson, "The Greatest Slugger in Baseball" Maricaibo Centauros Unique New Discovery!

Starting Bid: $25.00

Bids: 59 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer Premier Auction 2017",
which ran from 7/6/2017 11:30 AM to
7/22/2017 8:00 PM



Quite possibly the only rival to Babe Ruth's title as the greatest player in baseball history is Josh Gibson. Spotty statistics, a small regular season in the Negro Leagues, and the unfortunate color line will never allow a conclusion to this argument, but in the case of Gibson, he is right there in the conversation. For the same reasons that it is tough to come to a definitive conclusion about just how good Gibson was, his images are incredibly difficult to find. In the entire world, there are perhaps only 40 different images of Josh Gibson that exist... better make that 41! The offered incredible photograph captures the young superstar at the pinnacle of his career, 1940, in uniform with the Maricaibo Centauros of Venezuela as he was in that country during the off-season from the Negro Leagues. Shown from head to toe and completely alone in the image, he is also seen in full uniform and holding his bats and his glove. Looking directly at the photographer and flashing a look of exhaustion and perhaps a bit of anger that he had to play in conditions like this rather than the roars of Yankee Stadium, this is the greatest image of Gibson we have ever seen offered for sale, period! A unique photograph in fantastic condition, this is being offered here for the first time for sale and is one of the most exciting pieces of photography we have ever offered. Completely original to 1940 and a photo that is sure to be the centerpiece of even the most advanced collection!

Size: 2.5x3.5
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 9.5/10

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