JBR 80b cards come in a wide selection of sizes and shapes. All of the various types are blank backed and contain the same set of front images. All images emanate from the 1949 San Francisco Seals Tour of Japan. Lefty O'Doul appears in the set on eight different cards, often in the company of one Japan Pro Baseball's most famous managers. This is one such card.

Shinji Hamazaki, a left handed pitcher, was a pint sized wonder. He stood only 5' 1" and weighed a mere 110 lbs. A Keio U. graduate of the 1920s, Hamazaki played against the U.S. Major League All Stars featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (and Lefty O'Doul!) during their 1934 Tour of Japan. He spent most of the 1930s playing in Manchuria. At the age of 45, he was signed for the first time to pitch and manage in Japan Pro Baseball! In 1950, at the age of 48, he became the oldest pitcher to win a Japan Pro Baseball game, a record that stood until 2014. He then managed off and on in Japan Pro Baseball through 1963. He is seen here as manager of the Hankyu Braves.

This card was originally a fifth prize winner card, which entitled the bearer to select a prize from a display sheet associated with the JBR 80b set. For this reason, the number 5 was printed by the manufacturer on the otherwise blank back.

Size: 1 5/8" x 2 1/4"

Condition: Good. The "scratches" seen on the front are not scratches on the card. These thin white lines were probably caused by scratches on the negative used to print the card. Every example of this card that we have seen has the exact same array of lines in the exact same locations .