1948/49 Leaf Satchel Paige

[Phil68]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

I have a few questions about this card:

1) How do we know for certain that it's a SP? Has anyone ever seen an uncut sheet before?

2) I have a book, that's about twenty years old, and while the author calls the Jackie Robinson and Stan Musial cards rookies, he does not label this Paige card as such. Today, everybody is calling it a rookie. Is this card really a rookie? He was about 42-years-old when it was issued and I'm pretty sure he must have had cards made of his prior to that.

3) I think the image that was used in the making of this card was a poor choice. His eyes are closed! How stupid is that? Are there any other players in this set with their eyes closed?

First--beautiful card (relative to the issue).
Yes, there are sheets that suggest the Paige--along with quite a few others--were printed less frequently. I believe it was Dr. James Beckett that first passed this info along many, many years ago and the hobby has gone with it.

Rookie? I figure it depends on how you define it. As for MLB, he was, indeed, a rookie at age 42. More peculiar is the notion some have of, say, Stan Musial's '48 Bowman as a "rookie". I suppose the sheer lack of cards prior creates the rookie notion for quite a few 40's debuts. There are likely some obscure regional issues that feature Satchel as a Mexican Leaguer or even Negro Leaguer but the Leaf is the first card of him produced on any measurable scale...and he WAS a rookie.

Finally, the image is likely what was available. "Choice" would indicate they had a library of images to choose from. A portrait like the Bowman would have been great but, then, the production still sucked so it wouldn't have mattered too much.

Regardless of any of it--you have a spectacular and desirable card (and piece of history) there!!! Congratulations!!!