Nap LaJoie Pickup: 1909 T206 Piedmont, With Bat Pose, Slabbed a PSA Authentic!

Here's the final piece of my 2018 Tax Refund Splurge Spectacular. I tried to nab as many good pieces as I could from my boss' tobacco purchase at the start of the year and today's T206 was an obvious choice when I saw its condition fell into the "Perfect for Greg" category: Authentic But Presents Better Than Authentic™.

Nap LaJoie makes for another fantastic Hall of Fame addition to my T206 Collection. Nap was a teamster and card-room sweeper prior to becoming a full-time ballplayer. He won the first Triple Crown in American League history; holds the single-season batting average mark post-1900 with a .426 campaign; and is the only active player in baseball's long history to have his team named after him.

LaJoie almost lost a leg due to dye poisoning that seeped into a spike wound. He had run-ins with umpires and teammates, jumped leagues and had his availability run through the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and was cheated out of the 1910 Batting Title in a close race with rival Ty Cobb.