This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/19/2012
Like Brooks himself, this card sets the standard by which all that follow are judged. Robinson played third base with style, class, and an uncanny ability to turn in spectacular plays with startling regularity for 23 seasons. In 16 of those seasons, he was the Gold Glove award winner. For 15 straight seasons, he was the American League's starting All-Star third baseman. He led AL third basemen in assists 8 times and in fielding 11 times. He holds almost every lifetime record for third baseman by a wide margin: most games (2,870), best fielding percentage (.971), most putouts (2,697), most assists (6,205), most chances (9,165), and most double plays (618). After he almost single handedly won the 1970 World Series for the Orioles, Reds manager Sparky Anderson quipped: "I'm beginning to see Brooks in my sleep. If I dropped this paper plate, he'd pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first." Also regarded as one of the kindest, gentlest, and most generous ballplayers ever to make a diving stop, Baltimore’s favorite son is featured on this flawlessly rendered example of his first Topps card. The overall quality of this card from the difficult 4th series of the issue is extraordinary. Every aesthetic element is beyond reproach, warranting PSAs singular assessment of GEM MINT 10 among 1,929 copies inspected by that firm to date. A one of a kind phenomenon.