(LOT 28)
1925 Exhibits Henry L. Gehrig PSA 2 GOOD
IRON HORSE ROOKIE!!!...
After two seasons as a backup catcher for the St. Louis Browns and several less-than consequential minor league seasons, Paul Krichell joined longtime friend and Boston Red Sox manager Ed Barrow with the BoSox as a coach and scout. When Barrow left for the Yankees in 1921, Krichell followed and became a full-time scout with the Bronx Bombers. Barrow and Krichell were instrumental in building the powerhouse Yankees, considering that Barrow was then-manager of the Red Sox when Babe Ruth was traded to New York, and Krichell, now in NY, signed the most promising 20-year-old the game had seen in years when he contracted Columbia University's Henry Louis Gehrig in 1923. Though Lou would require a bit of seasoning in the minors with Hartford in 1923 and '24, it was 1925 that he earned his pinstripes, batting a superior .295 with 20 home runs and 68 runs batted in in 126 games. Gehrig's power was well known across the baseball world since 1920, when he hit a baseball out of Chicago's Wrigley Field (a grand slam no less) at only 17, and then while playing at Columbia, hit the longest home run at South Field which landed an astonishing 450 feet from home plate. He was considered "the next Babe Ruth." However, it was the unfortunate slump that Wally Pipp suffered through in May of 1925 that ultimately defined Gehrig as he took over first base on June 1, 1925, and did not relinquish it for a seemingly insurmountable 15 straight years and 2,130 consecutive games played. Ruth and Gehrig became the heart of New York's Murderers' Row and the consensus greatest team of all time, the 1927 Yankees.

They were and are still the greatest one-two punch of power hitters any one team has ever rostered, who led their Bronx Bombing squad to four World Series titles. As teammates, The Babe and the Iron Horse (for his durability and consecutive games streak) hit 511 and 348 home runs, respectively. And it all began in 1925 when Gehrig took over 1st base. Also in 1925, The Exhibits Company of Chicago released a 128-card unnumbered postcard set that included Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Walter Johnson and Tris Speaker, as well as a young Henry Louis Gehrig, the first in his illustrious career. Offered here is a 1925 Exhibits Henry L. Gehrig – Infield – New York, A.L. issue holdered 2 GOOD from PSA. Unlike so many rookie issues, Gehrig's first edition trading card is this 3-3/8" x 5-3/8" postcard, though the standard postcard markings are absent on this blank-backed release. This 2 GOOD example presents well for the grade, displaying light snow and facial wear from a century of display and storage, but the borderless image remains clear, and the edging and corners are consistent with even wear overall. The Lou Gehrig Rookie is a rarity to be sure, and for one to surface, no matter the grade, collectors need to take notice. The 1925 Exhibit Lou Gehrig is one of only 34 non-qualified examples, so make it a priority to bid for this Iron Horse Rookie, as they don't emerge too often.

MIN BID $10,000
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