This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/6/2022
This beautiful study of Willie Mays and his bat was snapped the day before the 1954 World Series opened. Mays had hit a league-leading .345 in the regular season and was the driving force behind the New York Giants winning the National League pennant. In the coming series, Mays would not only hit .286 in the 4-game sweep of Cleveland, but also turn in one of the most memorable moments in baseball history – his back to the plate catch of Vic Wertz’s fly ball in Game 1. The photo has been printed to the edge with no white border. The edges show some light wear, and the corners show slight rounding. The bottom right corner has been creased and there are some water stains to the printed image. The reverse has several International News Photos and 1955 date stamps, along with pencil and ink notations and the original caption slug. This is a spectacular photo showing Willie Mays just a day away from his famous catch. The photo has been encapsulated and graded a Type 1 by PSA.