This is a unique opportunity for collectors to obtain cards from this scarce set in their original form.

The JBR 21 set was generally issued in the form of five large double player cards. All cards contain a large image of each player, a facsimile autograph to the right of the image below the player's team logo, and the player's name and team printed across the bottom. The backs contain a great deal of text about the players pictured on the front.

The five different lots of JBR 21 uncut pairs found in this auction comprise a complete set. We have never before offered a complete JBR 21 set in uncut pairs, nor have we ever before offered any uncut JBR 21 pair at all. Moreover, we have not offered any JBR 21 trimmed single card since 2010!

Why is Takeshi Doigaki (left) not enshrined in the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame? He was considered to be the greatest post World War II catcher. His lifetime batting average was .283, mostly playing in an era of low batting averages. He struck out only 298 times in nearly 5,000 at bats. He was named to his league Best 9 team for six seasons in a row. And most important, during the late 1940s and early 1950s, most every baseball card set that consists of only eight, 10, 12, or 16 players, includes a card of Doigaki, including JBR 21.

Korean native Hideo Fujimoto (right) is the all-time Japan Pro Baseball leader in lifetime ERA (1.90), single season ERA (0.73) and all time winning percentage (.697). He is credited with introducing the slider to Japanese baseball. He pitched the first perfect game in Japan Pro Baseball history. He is a Sawamura (Japan Cy Young) Award winner. In 1943 alone, he pitched in 432 2/3 innings, threw 19 complete game shutouts and went 100 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run! He was also a decent hitter, batting .245 in nearly 1,500 plate appearances, occasionally playing second base, third base, and outfield. The 5' 7" 145 right hander is certainly one of the most overlooked of the great Japanese baseball players.

Size: Uncut Pair--8 5/16" x 5 11/16". Individual cards--4 5/32" x 5 11/16"

Condition: The uncut pair grades Fair to Poor because of minor chipping on the Fujimoto card. The Doigaki card, if cut neatly from the uncut pair, would grade Good.