Lot # 14: c.1930 Uncatalogued Bromide Baseball Card--Shigeru Mizuhara (HOF) & Susumu Kawase

Category: Baseball Cards

Starting Bid: $75.00

Bids: 3 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Auction 63: Ended 4/9/2022",
which ran from 3/26/2022 7:00 PM to
4/9/2022 11:00 PM



Shigeru Mizuhara has Hall of Fame credentials as both a player and manager. After starring at Keio U. as a third baseman and pitcher, he played for the Japan All Stars who battled Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Co. during the 1934 Tour of Japan. From 1936 to 1942 he was a member of the Tokyo Giants, winning the Japan Pro Baseball MVP award in 1942. He was unable to accept this award in person, as he was already fighting in the Japanese Army! He was captured by the Russians and spent four years in a Siberian POW camp. He returned to Japan to manage the Yomiuri Giants. Between 1950 and 1960 his teams won eight pennants and four Japan Series titles.

Susumu Kawase was a true utility player. He was the shortstop for the Koyo Middle School team from Nishinomiya during the 1926 National Baseball High School Championship Tournament at Koshien. He entered Keio U. in 1928 as a catcher, often forming a battery with future Hall of Famer, Shigeru Mizuhara. By 1930, Kawase was Keio's second baseman. In 1931, he was their third baseman.

Kawase played second base against the U.S. Major League All Stars featuring Lou Gehrig and Lefty Grove in three 1931 Tour games. He went 1 for 7 at the plate and even pitched during one of the contests!

We have seen an example of this card only once before, in 2006, when the card was featured in our Auction #27. It's a truly rare piece of history.

Blank backed card.

Size: 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"

Condition: Would be Ex, except that there is glue and paper loss on the blank back due to previous mounting in a scrapbook.

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