In our nearly 35 years of business, this is the first time we have ever offered an example of this rare card!

The 1949 JCM 191 menko set has received the designation of R5 in Japanese Baseball Cards Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 3.0, indicating that five or fewer copies of each card are known to the hobby.  Thus, cards from this set are rarely encountered.  All cards feature a drawing of a baseball facsimile autographed by Lefty O’Doul on the back.  All players portrayed in the set appeared for the All Japan team that faced O’Doul’s San Francisco Seals during the team’s 1949 Tour of Japan.  Obviously, the key card in the set is that of Victor Starffin.

Starffin was a member of the All Japan team during both of the two most important U.S. Tours of Japan--the 1934 Babe Ruth All Star Tour, and the 1949 San Francisco Seals Tour.  At the time of the 1949 Tour, Starffin had just finished an outstanding 1949 season in which he won 27 games while pitching 376 innings.  On 10/29/49, he shut out the Seals for nine innings before leaving the game which the Seals ultimately won 1-0.

Size:  1 9/16” x 2 11/16”

Condition:  Good.  Hand cut.