Sam Strang T206: Charles Bray Coll.

I believe this is the last of the Charles Bray Collection T206s I acquired from REA many months ago. They all went much cheaper than I anticipated -- the reason why I ended up with so many -- and whether it was because they were drowned out by better items in the auction or because they are all well-loved, I do not know. Whatever the reason, it worked out splendidly for me and my T206 PC.

Sammy Strang served in the Army as a young man during the Spanish-American War; never used his real last name so as not to embarrass his high-class family; was a trap shooter, singer, and humor columnist; and spent one offseason as a chauffeur and another as a cashier at a pool hall owned by John McGraw.

After his career ended he became a very successful coach at Army. Many of the players he coached at West Point not only served but became Generals during WWII (most prominently among them, Dwight Eisenhower). He is distantly related to former First Lady Laura Bush and, when Honus Wagner came up with his all-time All-Star team, Strang was on it as a pinch-hitter due to his hitting and speed.

Sammy attempted to get Satchel Paige onto his minor league team, but was blocked by the color barrier. Paige once opined "he wanted me so bad he tried everything to get me into a game" and "offered me $500 to pitch against the Atlanta Crackers – I just had to let him paint me white."

Satchel Paige Pickup: 1949 Indians Picture Pack, Action Pose (PSA 1.5)!

Satchel Paige doesn't have a lot of cardboard to chase and what he does have is usually pricier than I'd like to dish out. One item that was within my budget and very appealing to the eye turned up at my old job a while back. I picked it up last year and subbed it at work and after providing some research on the set this beauty came home with me in a sweet PSA 1.5 slab.

Part of the 1949 Cleveland Indians Picture Pack set, Satch has an Action Pose and Portrait Pose in the release and the Action Pose is all kinds of AMAZING. It's a simple shot of Paige in his windup in front of the Cleveland dugout with teammates and fans behind him looking on, but it more than does the trick. It presents so exceedingly well for a 1.5 and it's a one of a kind in some ways as it's the only item from the entire set PSA has ever authenticated and graded.

It's a most fine addition to my Vintage Collection.