[GeoPoto]

Card 16: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

Walter Johnson Portrait Piedmont 350: Johnson Portrait T206 cards are also plentiful (PSA-1286). His status among the game's greatest pitchers is reflected in the high number of cards graded. PSA has graded eleven Johnson Portrait T206 cards at PSA 7, eight at PSA 8, and six at PSA 9. The Johnson Portrait T206 card is in Print Group 1.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Graded PSA 7, the H/R card presents a clear, clean image. It also delivers edges and corners with minimal wear. The centering is virtually perfect, but the borders are tight. The back is centered with moderate fading.

My Entry: My card is graded PSA 2. It shows moderate wear to the surface, edges, and corners but still presents very well. It is centered a hair right and maybe a little low. The borders are good. The card may have a hint of a slant cut. The back is centered well with good color despite moderate toning and surface wear.

Comparison: The H/R card presents beautifully. But my card stands up reasonably well in comparison. Surface blemishes on my card, particularly around Walter's face, are not helpful. But my card has better (bigger) borders. The H/R back is slightly ahead of mine.

My conclusion: I like my card better. The H/R card is technically superior to my card in every way except borders. But there's the rub: I can't see "upgrading" to a card with tighter borders that are quick to surface anxieties regarding alteration.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I really like the borders.

Additional Walter Johnson Fun Fact: He holds the major-league records for number of 1-0 wins (38) and losses (26).

Results so far: My Cards -- 12; H/R Cards -- 2; and 2 ties. 12-2-2.

(Pause until Monday.)