The JCM 46 set is the only set which contains a card of Wakabayashi that was known to be printed in 1929. Therefore, the JCM 46 may be his only rookie card. No more than five examples of this rare card are known in the hobby. The card is classified as a menko, rather than a bromide because of the four digit number on the front. Wakabayashi was the first American superstar player in Japan. Born on a pineapple plantation in Hawaii, he learned baseball as a child on the playing fields of a nearby US military base. He toured Japan with a Nisei team from Stockton, CA, impressing Big Six University scouts. Hosei U. tried to enroll him, but the other schools objected, as Wakabayashi's Japanese language skills and overall academic knowledge did not meet Big Six U. entrance standards. A compromise was reached, and after nine months attending a Japanese prep school, Wakabayashi was admitted. As a pro (1936-53), Wakabayashi, a pitcher, starred with the Tigers and Orions, compiling a lifetime ERA of 1.99 to go with a career won-loss mark of 237-144. His best season was 1944, when he went 22-4, 1.56. Wakabayashi pitched throughout World War II in Japan, despite the fact that he was an American! In 1964, he became the first American inducted in to the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame.

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

Condition: Ex/Mt. Although this card came right out of an unopened hanging bundle and placed in a card holder it does have some corner softness.