When Willie Mays slugged a Mike Corkins pitch over San Diego Stadium’s left field wall, he joined Babe Ruth as just the second player to reach the 600 home run mark. This remarkable milestone came in the seventh inning of the September 22, 1969, game between Padres and San Francisco Giants. At that time, it was Willie Mays who many believed would be the player most likely to surpass the Babe’s 714 career home run total. The active player closest to 600 was Hank Aaron with 554 career homers through the 1969 season. With this in mind, it becomes much clearer why Mays’ 600th home run was such an incredible moment in baseball history.

This Willie Mays 1969 game used bat, with well-documented provenance and a letter from the Say Hey Kid himself, is attributed to his famous 600th home run that put him in exclusive company with Ruth. The Adirondack M63A pro model was Mays’ favorite choice of lumber, a style he used more than any other from 1960 to '73. The AD23 center brand dates it to the 1968-69 order period with Rawlings. The bat remains un-cracked and displays outstanding game use. Ball contact marks and stitch impressions cover the right and back barrel. Blue bat rack streaks are present and there is a moderate coat of pine tar on the handle. The model number “M63A” is stamped into the knob end and the weight “34½” is handwritten there in pencil. Willie Mays' iconic player number “24” is written on the knob in faded black marker.

To commemorate this career milestone, Mays has signed and inscribed the left barrel “To Steve 1969 Best Wishes #600.” As the additional provenance and authenticity archive included with this bat reveals, “Steve” is none other than Steve Blauner, a longtime Hollywood manager, producer and executive. In addition to managing famous singer Bobby Darin, Blauner produced Screen Gems television shows such as “The Monkees” and films including Five Easy Pieces, The Last Picture Show, and Easy Rider alongside his partners Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson of BBS (Bert, Bob & Steve) Productions. Steve Blauner, who grew up in New York a loyal Giants fan, befriended Mays and many other Giants players during the 1960s, often traveled with the team, and became an honorary Giant who was issued a team uniform and often participated in pregame warm-ups. He and Mays became great friends for a period during the ‘60s, with Steve introducing Mays to the world of Hollywood and Mays introducing Steve to the world of Major League Baseball. They remained close until Steve’s passing in 2015.

Steve Blauner was in attendance at San Diego Stadium on September 22, 1969, to witness Willie Mays hit his 600th homer with this very bat. In 2011, Blauner asked Willie Mays to write a letter of provenance for the bat, and this signed letter on Mays’ personal letterhead is included with the lot. This letter is very important as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, also has an Mays Adirondack bat purported to be the one used to hit #600. However, Mays’ letter states beyond doubt that Steve Blauner was gifted the 600th home run bat.

“I am writing to provide you with the information that you requested. Yes, I did give you the bat that I had used to hit my 600th home run. It was in September, 1969, when I got the hit off of San Diego pitcher, Mike Corkins. I signed it 'To Steve' and the date, and "Best Wishes. Willie Mays. We sure had fun in those days. I will never forget your friendship.”

This historic bat has been assessed a perfect GU 10 by John Taube of PSA/DNA. The Willie Mays signature and inscription on the bat has been authenticated by PSA/DNA, and the Willie Mays signature on his letter to Steve Blauner has been graded a 10 by PSA/DNA. All evidence points to this being Willie Mays' one true 600th career home run bat.