Ira Thomas is best known for having the first successful pinch hit in a World Series hitting for shortstop Charley O"Leary in the ninth inning of game 1 of the 1908 World Series. SPending the bulk of his career as a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics Thomas is pictured here preparing to receive a pitch or perhaps a play at the plate an eager smile on his face (or perhaps he"s still thinking about that pinch hit).Graded VG/EX 4 by PSA this card is an excellent illustration of how there can be such wide variances in card flaws within the same grade. Typically a VG/EX card may exhibit rounded corners perhaps a surface wrinkle some edge wear even surface wear. This particular card has a gorgeous surface the image of Thomas practically glowing. Edge wear while present is minor and restricted to a few small spots and the corners while square do display some minor touches - not quite qualifying as "rounding." The reverse (which features the set checklist) also exhibits some surface wear and a small chip at the top. The result is an accumulation of small flaws that turn an otherwise EX/MT-looking cabinet card into a VG/EX one.Still within the T3 Turkey Red set a grade of VG/EX is an exceptional one as so many of these cards were susceptible to display-related damage like tack holes paper loss due to scrapbook removal fading and other mounting issues. This is an exceptional specimen from a wonderful set one of the most legendary in the hobby.Population DataPSA Population: 18 total graded 8 at this level 4 higherSGC Population: 2 total graded 0 at this level 0 higher