Even as an 18-year-old youngster Ted Williams was a superstar fresh out of high school and in his second professional season with the San Diego Padres of the PCL he batted .291 with 23 home runs. Williams would sign with the Red Sox organization after Eddie Collins scouted him in San Diego and after the Splendid Splinter won the American Association Triple Crown in 1938 he led the league in RBI extra base hits and total bases in his rookie season with the Red Sox. Collectors of rookie and "pre-rookie" items featuring Williams covet the real photo postcard featuring this very image a recent example eclipsing $15 000 at public auction. Far more impressive this large-format photo was likely issued to team members or officials. Measuring a whopping 20" wide by 16" high the piece makes for an incredible display. The players are identified at the bottom of the photo; the team featured a good number of future and former major leaguers including Herman Pillette Jimmie Reese and George Myatt but it is the young Williams seated second from right in the top row who is by far the most important figure in the photo. The photo itself is not without problems - chipping and paper loss is evident around all four edges with various areas exhibiting slight tears particularly at the bottom center where a 3" tear travels north from the edge. The reverse contains heavy paper remnangs likely from a long-ago mounting in an oversized scrapbook but it is these same paper remnants that have effectively added weight to the piece and preserved the image area of the photo. Indeed the quality of the photo is outstanding and the image itself is largely unblemished - the wear is primarily restricted to outside the image area itself. The result is a rare but absolutely tremendous oversized "pre-rookie" piece featuring the greatest hitter who ever lived.