SCP Auctions April 2011 Internet Auction

Three weeks into spring training in 1954, New York Giants manager Leo Durocher termed his 1954 team as the "best squad, especially young and talented players, I have ever had as manager." His good judgment would be proven. Willie Mays was the huge star on the 1954 Giants, at age 23, hitting 41 home runs with a .345 batting average. Hank Thompson added 26 home runs, Al Dark had 20 home runs and 35-year-old Monte Irvin had 19. Dusty Rhodes, outfielder and pinch-hitter, had a .341 batting average with 15 home runs in 164 at-bats. The pitching stars included Johnny Antonelli (21-7), Ruben Gomez (17-9), Sal Maglie (14-6), and top save man Marv Grissom, who had 10 wins and 19 saves. Reliever Hoyt Wilhelm had the lowest ERA on the team, 2.10, in 57 games. The formidable 1954 Giants squad achieved one the greatest World Series upsets in baseball history as they swept the heavily favored Indians to win their first World Championship since 1933. That memorable series provided a number of unforgettable moments for Giants fans, including Willie Mays' dramatic over-the-shoulder catch of a Vic Wertz fly ball in Game 1 (plus the unbelievable throw that followed) and Dusty Rhodes' two pinch hit home runs. This remarkable symbol of one of the greatest seasons in New York Giants history was issued to the Giants renowned team doctor Anthony M. Palermo. The Palermo family has preserved it in for more than half a century in virtually Mint Condition. The interior of the band is stamped “Balfour 14k” and features Palermo’s name engraved in script. A laurel wreath encircles a diamond at the center of the face, flanked by the year “1954” and the words “World Champions”. Other design features include a relief of the Polo Grounds with the scores of the four Series games above it on one shank and the Giants logo on the other. 1954 Giants World Series rings are rarely seen in the marketplace with the offered example being among the finest condition specimens we have seen. Size: 10.