This card is from a set thought to consist of about 2,000
different cards, encompassing the 1948 through 1950 seasons! Since there is no text on the front or back
of cards in this set, it has never been catalogued in Japanese Baseball
Cards Checklist & Price Guide.
Furthermore, of the estimated 2,000 cards, only about 750 have been
discovered to date. In fact, we have
seen this card only one other time in our nearly 35 years of buying, selling
and auctioning Japanese baseball cards.
We are not sure which stadium the Yomiuri Giants are marching into
here. The lack of fans in the grandstand
may indicate that the Giants are entering to take their pre-game warmups. Manager Shigeru Mizuhara (HOF) is leading the
way, with Hall of Fame second baseman, Shigeru Chiba waving a large flag behind
him. Not many different vintage cards
depicting team entrances were ever printed.
The
manufacturer has stamped the number 4 on the back of this card, indicating that
the holder was eligible to receive a 4th prize card from the display
sheet associated with the set.
Size: 2 3/8” x 2 1/8”
Condition: G/Vg. The image is beautiful and sharp, but there
is a bit of browning along the edges in spots.
The blank back also contains evidence of the card having once been
mounted in a binder.