MAY 2012 PREMIER INTERNET AUCTION

Before the arrival of such power hitting shortstops such as Ernie Banks, Cal Ripken, and Alex Rodriguez, the position was played by those who contributed solid fundamental offense, outstanding defense and many intangible things that never appear in a box score. The epitome of such a shortstop was Luis Aparicio, who never played a single inning at any other position over an eighteen year career, and whose slick fielding and base stealing abilities were big keys to team and personal success. Born in Venezuela, Aparicio became the Chicago White Sox starting shortstop as a rookie in 1956, replacing another Venezuelan, Chico Carrasquel. Luis justified Chicago's faith in him by winning Rookie of the Year in 1956 and led the American League with twenty-one stolen bases. For the rest of the 50's and early 60's he anchored the White Sox infield with second baseman Nellie Fox, and they drove Chicago's opponents crazy both offensively and defensively. It all came together for the White Sox in 1959 when the "Go Go Sox" scampered to AL pennant and Aparicio finished second in the Most Valuable Player voting to Fox. "What is the top requirement for a second baseman? A fine shortstop. I am fortunate in having the greatest shortstop in baseball, Luis Aparicio", said Fox in 1960. One of only two Aparicio rookies to earn GEM MINT 10 status among 1,415 copies submitted to PSA, the offered card features beautiful dual imagery that is the hallmark of Topps’ 1956 baseball issue. The intensity of the field action is balanced by the confident smile in the close-up portrait of Aparicio. Condition attributes need no embellishment other than the restatement of the phrase "PSA GEM MT 10." The corners are pristine, and the card's coloration and projection qualities are simply magnificent.