Winter Premier Auction 2017
Wed, Jan 4, 2017 04:00PM EST - Sat, Jan 21, 2017 11:00PM EST
Timed Auction
Lot 248
WILLIE MAYS ROOKIE-ERA VINTAGE SINGLE SIGNED ONL (GILES) BASEBALL
Sold for
$1,128
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $10 |
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
| $300,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
Since his playing days from 1951 through 1973 it is hard to think there was ever a time Willie Mays had to prove himself. Breaking in as a 20-year-old rookie in the summer of ’51 Willie immediately made an impact in helping the Giants tie their bitter rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers on the last day of the season. It was Mays who was the on-deck hitter when Bobby Thomson hit “The Shot Heard Round the World” and at the end of the season he won the Rookie of the Year Award. Mays played 34 games in 1952 before he was drafted into the U.S. Army but he returned in ’54 to lead the Giants to the World Championship with his league-leading .345 average and 41 home runs.
Dating from his rookie era this 1952-57 Spalding Official National League (Warren Giles) baseball is signed by the young Mays on a side panel in 6/10 black pen with the inscription “Best Wishes.” The signature is in classic early Willie Mays format and combined with the style of ball dates to his earliest seasons in the big leagues. The Mays signature has faded in some spots and remains fairly strong and still resonates nicely. The Spalding ball has light toning and overall has taken on a nice warm glow with age. A great single-signed ball from the seasons Mays was establishing himself as the most complete player in the game.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA.
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