His career was winding down but Cy Young could still wing it.
At age 41 in 1908 he tossed the third no-hitter of his career, the oldest player ever to toss one. It was a record that would stand until Nolan Ryan broke it 82 years later. He’d finish the year with a 1.26 earned run average.
Now, a photo of Young, wearing his Boston uniform in that fabled season, is the auction block. RMY Auctions is offering it in its August online catalog, with bidding set to close Saturday night.
While posed images of Young are well-known to baseball historians and collectors, few photographs to survive showing his delivery or follow through. This particular image is believed to be unique to the hobby.
The 3 1/4″ x 4 1/2″ image originated with a Cleveland newspaper which used it during coverage of the trade that sent Young back to his home state American League team. The back carries a pencil notation of “3/10/09” in addition to his name and the words “Pitching a Fast One.”
Young wasn’t quite done. He was active through the 1911 season, finishing with a likely unbreakable record of 511 career wins.
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