1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle #202 PSA 8 NM-MT

When Mickey Mantle had a knee operation in 1954, the national press corps came out in full force. They questioned whether manager Casey Stengel had played Mantle too soon and suggested the team’s prize draft selection could become a bust. Of all the predictions in sports history, perhaps none missed the mark more than the naysayers who questioned Mantle’s resolve and talent. By July, 1954, reporters were singing a different tune with headlines such as “Mickey Mantle’s Hitting Surge Hints Arrival at Real Stardom“ from the Associated Press. “In the field, he is good enough to play with the best. He’s good enough to play on ground balls on the infield, if needed. Yesterday, he showed up at shortstop when the Yankees ran out of infielders in the first game of their double triumph over the Chicago White Sox,” the AP reported. While talks of a trade of Mantle for Willie Mays or Duke Snider swirled, the Yankees were having none of it. “We would not trade Mantle, period,” said the team’s general manager George Weiss. “I would suggest that everyone wait until the last shot has been fired—say after the World Series—before rating the best center fielders in baseball.” Mickey finished with seven World Series rings and three MVP awards, so perhaps Weiss had it right. Shots fired. Like Weiss, Bowman knew what it was doing when they created their 1955 Baseball set to celebrate the inclusion of televisions in millions of American homes. Difficult to find in high grade due to its sensitive edges, this NM-MT PSA 8 is stunning. Of the more than 5,500 times PSA has assessed the card, just 16 copies carry a higher grade. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 02/09/2026.