We believe that this is the earliest postwar baseball card known and also the earliest known card of Victor Starffin. The great Russian hurler is shown in street clothes with his hat cocked at a rakish angle. There are numerous cards of players wearing their 1946 uniforms, but all have 1947 team notations printed on the card. This card is the first we've seen with an actual 1946 team name printed on the bromide.
Starffin was the first non-Japanese elected to their Hall of Fame. He pitched for the 1934 All Japan team that faced the Ruth/Gehrig Major League All Stars. He traveled to the US with the Yomiuri Giants (Japan's first pro team) in 1935 and 1936. From 1936 (first year of Japan Pro Baseball) until 1955, he was a dominant pitcher, becoming the first to win 300 games in Japan.
Size: 1 3/4" x 2 3/4"
Condition: Strong Ex