Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
Willie Mays went into 1970 as the game's greatest active slugger with over 600 career home runs, second to only Babe Ruth. Sportswriters predicted a bleak year for Willie as he was not expiated to bounce back from his injury plagued 1969 season, but bounce back he did - Mays hit .291 with 28 homers as he led the Giants to the post-season. The next two seasons he tapered off gradually and in 1972 made his return trip to the city his career began - New York - when he was traded to the Mets. This great bat exhibits the kind of great game use you want to see from the game's greatest living slugger in the autumn of his career.
To find a heavily used, attractive Willie Mays bat with a perfect combination of heavy pine tar, multiple ball marks and cleat imprints is a near impossible task. For those searching for such a 'perfect' Mays game used bat, your search is over! This Willie Mays' Hillerich & Bradsby S2 shows evidence of outstanding use. Repeated hits off this bat has resulted in some checking on the back barrel, which has been repaired with glue. Many ball marks and stitch impressions can be seen on the barrel, as well as cleat imprints and green bat rack paint streaks. A heavy coat of pine tar is evident on the handle it appears the barrel has been coated with high gloss urethane. The presence of pine tar on this bat is significant as the Giants' slugger only began using the substance from the mid-1960's on. The model number "S2" is stamped in the knob end, over which Mays has written his number "24" in black. If you need one game used bat from Mays' 1970's years, this is the one you want. Its condition demonstrates the right combination ball marks from Mays' explosive power and distinctive characteristics only employed by the Hall of Famer during the end of his great career. Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA who have examined this bat and awarded it a GU 9.5.