Topps was so giddy to have finally inked Ted Williams to a contract in 1954 that they celebrated by having him both leadoff and conclude their classic 1954 baseball set. This was Sy Berger's favorite card design and it's easy to see why. The bright orange background on card #1 beautifully offsets the two photos, while the black-and-white shot of Ted's vicious follow through is all action. Williams seemed pretty pleased with the deal as well if his smile on the color photo is any indication.

Sharp corners and sharp edges - save for one minor ding at the top center -  help this card achieve its high grade. Some light edge chipping on the green-bordered back along with slight diamond cutting which keeps this one from being perfectly centered keep it from grading even higher than it already has.

A popular and desirable card of the Splendid Splinter from the underrated 1954 Topps issue which is packed with important cards yet somehow escapes mention as one of the more important sets of the era.