There are two different Fred Clarke cards included in the T206
set. One shows him posing while holding a bat, and this version is a portrait in front of a deep red background. This is the tougher of the two versions of the Hall of Famer, and a classic in the
landmark set. Sharp top corners and gorgeous, dark, bold colors give this example tons of eye appeal.
There is some light staining present along the right edge, and the bottom corners are softer than the top, which explain the technical grade. A tobacco stain on the back's right edge feels like it couldn't have been placed any more perfectly in line with the gorgeous Piedmont text. PSA has
only ever graded 142 total examples of this Piedmont 150 back version of
the
Clarke, with
only forty receiving a
higher grade than the VG+ 3.5 offered here.
Fred Clifford Clarke
spent 21 seasons in the National League between his time with the Louisville Colonels and the Pittsburgh Pirates. While he only had two seasons with more than 200 hits, his consistency and longevity helped him end his Hall of Fame career with 2,678 total. His 220 career triples are 7th all time. 1903 was his best season, leading the league in Doubles (32), Slugging (.532), OPS (.946), and OPS+ (165) while helping the Pirates win the National League pennant. His two home runs and 7 RBI in the 1909 World Series helped the Pirates defeat the Detroit Tigers.