The 1952 JGA 38 Osato Gangu Color Cards are orders of magnitude scarcer than the 1951 black & white issue. Only three copies are known of this card of Hawaiian catcher Jun Hirota, and this is the finest example of the three. In our April 2015 auction, an example with pencil writing all over the front sold for $1,005.10. Obviously, this example is much nicer. Following the success of Wally Yonamine in 1951, several more Hawaiians made their Japan Pro Baseball debuts in 1952. Most prominent among them was Jun Hirota, who became the Yomiuri Giants' main catcher for the next four seasons. This is undoubtedly Hirota's rarest rookie card.

Size: 1 5/8" x 2 9/16"

Condition: Ex/Mt