Pablo "Champion" Mesa spent his known decade-long career with Negro League and winter league teams, overlapping as teammates with a number of players since inducted by Cooperstown. His post-baseball life is enigmatic enough to lack a known date of death, turning the tables on a more common problem of not knowing exactly when some Latin players were born!

This Aguilitas tobacco winter league set features a large number of Latin American and Negro League players with photo-paper fronts that far surpass newspaper quality of their day. Many of its players received their best portraits in this set, thanks to higher contrast photography and light backgrounds.

This SGC EX 5 rating reflects its superior central image and edges similar to higher technical grades. A small crosshatch at the upper right on the front, centering southward, and a hint of residue on the reverse are the only marks against it. Its population report shows 13 total SGC/PSA graded, with none higher!