The JBR 44 set was a special gift to purchasers of Shonen Book magazine in October 1962. The cards were originally enclosed in a silver foil coated thin cardboard case. Each uncut panel of either two or three cards has a hole at the right edge where it was attached to a bolt inside the case. Attached card pairs or trios have a tab with the team name. All cards in a panel share the same card back. The set is rare and carries a scarcity factor of R4 in Japanese Baseball Cards Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 3.0 by Gary Engel, signifying that 10 or fewer copies of each panel are known.

This JBR 44 three card panel is special in that includes cards of three Kokutetsu Swallows pitchers. The player pictured on the right is the immortal, Masaichi Kaneda. On the left, we see Yoshio Kitagawa, with Seiji Shibutani in the center. These three pitchers were the heart of the Swallows' rotation in 1962. Unfortunately, the Swallows finished in last place in the six team Central League that season. However, even with little support, Kaneda won 22 games and had an ERA of 1.73.

This rarely seen card would be an excellent addition to the collection of any Masaichi Kaneda enthusiast.

Size: Panel--4 3/4" x 2 1/2". Each card is 1 1/4" x 2". Condition: Nm to Mt