1967 Topps Nelson Briles #404 St. Louis Cardinals Third Year Card

Description

1967 Topps Nelson Briles #404 St. Louis Cardinals Third Year Card Nelson Briles' 1967 Topps card catches a hard-throwing young righty right before he became a bona fide Cardinals folk hero, and that timing alone makes this an appealing pickup for St. Louis collectors. The card back describes him as one of the most promising arms on the staff, noting a respectable 3.21 ERA the prior year and 49 appearances that reflected manager Red Schoendienst's confidence in him as a young reliever and spot starter. What the card couldn't yet know is that later in 1967, Briles would step into the rotation after Bob Gibson's leg injury and help pitch the Cardinals to the World Series title, memorably outdueling the Red Sox in Game 3 of that Fall Classic. This is his third-year Topps card and a nice early piece to pair with his later, more expensive World Series-era issues. Card number 404 falls well outside the 1967 O-Pee-Chee checklist, which only ran through card 196, so this copy correctly carries the standard U. S. "PRINTED IN U. S. A." back rather than a Canadian print, making it a useful side-by-side comparison piece next to the genuine O-Pee-Chee cards in a Cardinals collection. the front presents with strong, vivid color, sharp focus on Briles' portrait, and comparatively crisp corners with only light wear at the extreme corner tips. Centering is well balanced within the black border. The back is clean and bright with excellent print contrast and minimal edge softness, no creases or writing present. This is the strongest-condition card in the group and would make a fine centerpiece for a Cardinals team set or a 1967 World Series-themed collection. Grade Estimate: EX 5.5