This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/28/2019
When it came time to replace the great Duke Snider in centerfield, the Dodgers scoured their entire organization and found the perfect man for the job: Willie Davis. A native of Los Angeles, Davis debuted for his hometown team in 1960 and instantly made his mark as not only the fastest player in the game, but also a daring fielder in center. Unlike most players who peak young, Davis only improved with age, and it wasn’t until he spent a full decade in the majors that he won his first Golden Glove Award. After this initial win in 1971, Davis took the award again in 1972 and made it a three-peat in 1973. This is the first of Davis’ Gold Gloves.
This majestic award consists of a full-sized gold-painted Rawlings fielder’s glove mounted on a solid wood base (6.5 x 17") featuring a portrait of Davis etched into a metallic gold colored plate flanked by a pair of gold-painted Rawlings baseballs mounted on tripods of miniature golden bats. An engraved plaque mounted on the base reads, “1971 OF Willie Davis The Sporting News National League All-Star Fielding Team.” Standing 17" tall and weighing 9 lbs., the piece shows medium wear with edge scuffs and slight tarnishing visible. A testament to Willie Davis’ prodigious fielding skills as he roamed centerfield for the Dodgers.