Dec 4, 2024 - Dec 14, 2024
A master of the five tools, Willie Mays is widely regarded the greatest all-around player in baseball history. His run of twelve consecutive Gold Gloves will never be matched by a centerfielder. The “Say Hey Kid” played 22 seasons in the big leagues, the first twenty plus with the New York turned San Francisco Giants. The 24-time All-Star belted 660 career homers and knocked in 1,909 runs to go with a .301 lifetime average, his final tallies occurring back in the Big Apple.
Featured here is a Willie Mays 1971 Hillerich & Bradsby game used bat with beautiful aesthetics and exceptional teammate provenance. In his final full season as a Giant, Mays batted .271 with 18 homers, 82 runs and 61 RBI. At age 40, he even swiped 23 bags – his most since 1960. Still intimidated by his presence at the plate, NL pitchers walked Mays a league-high 112 times. During the ’72 campaign, the Giants traded Willie to the Mets where he finished up his legendary career.
The Louisville Slugger S2 pro model ash bat, measuring 35” and weighing 32.7 ounces, has a blonder-than-usual tone with a flame-burned finish showcasing the bold “MAYS” stamping in block letters on the barrel. The well-preserved piece of lumber remains un-cracked and shows outstanding use. A plethora of ball contact marks are visible on the right, left and back barrel. Many green bat rack streaks run from the upper handle all the way to the barrel end, with a couple red streaks mixed in. Slight grain separation is apparent throughout. There is a very light coat of pine tar on the handle, which also carries some obvious cleat marks. The S2 model number is stamped into the knob end, along with Willie’s iconic No. “24” in red marker.
At some point during the 1971 season, Willie gave this bat to his teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry. A Perry letter of provenance documents the pitcher gifting this Mays bat, among other Giants memorabilia, to a former MLB player named Pat Rockett. This Mays gamer has the ultimate package of physical attributes and provenance that collectors look for. One of the finest late-career Mays exemplars, it received a perfect 10 grade from John Taube and has never before hit the auction block. Includes full PSA/DNA GU 10 paperwork and Perry’s signed letter (JSA sticker certified).
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