The Japanese Baseball Card Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 2.1 has awarded the JGA 152 set a scarcity factor of R4, signifying that ten or fewer copies of this card are known.

Masaaki Ikenaga (top row) took Japan Pro Baseball by storm as an 18-year-old rookie in 1968, going 20-10, 2.27 for the Nishitetsu Lions. By the time he was 23, he had won 103 games vs. only 65 losses. Alas, he was caught up in the "black mist" gambling scandal in 1970 and was banned from baseball for life.

Kazuhiko Kondo (bottom row left) was a star, left handed hitting first baseman/outfielder who played the first 15 years of his 16 year career with the Taiyo Whales. The Meiji U. alumnus was a nine time all-star and six time .300 hitter.

Shiro Takegami (bottom row right) got off to a late start in Japan Pro Baseball. After college he spent several years playing for an industrial league team. However, upon becoming a pro, he made up for lost time when he was named Central League Rookie of the Year in 1967. Takegami, a second baseman, went on to play for nine seasons with the Atoms/Swallows franchise, later becoming Swallows manager for four plus years.

Size: 1 15/16" x 3 1/16"

Condition: Range--Ex to Ex/Mt