Collect this irreplaceable vintage Willie Mays photograph & Rawlings Official MLB Ball— both hand-signed by baseball legend Willie Mays!
The first item in this great pair of collectibles is a rare vintage photograph of Willie Mays. Out-of-uniform, in a tailored black suit, Mays smilingly looks up from reading the newspaper (the Boston Evening Traveler, which ceased publication in 1967).
Willie Mays has hand-signed the photo, in a large clear full-name signature “Willie Mays” in blue felt-tip marker. Mays’ signature on the photograph has been examined and authenticated by James Spence Authentication (JSA), and the item comes with a full Letter of Authentication from JSA.
The signed photograph comes freshly framed in a stately mid-century style frame of burnished wood with gold detailing. Framed size measures 12-1/4" in height x 15-1/4" width.
The second item in the pair is a pristine Rawlings Official MLB baseball, which Mays has signed on the sweet spot, in bold dark blue marker, “Willie Mays”.
Mays' signature on the Rawlings ball has been examined and authenticated by PSA/DNA Authentication services, and a unique alphanumeric certification label has been affixed to ball, corresponding to the PSA/DNA Certificate of Authenticity which accompanies this item.
WILLIE MAYS, born 1931, played Major League Baseball as center fielder, playing almost all of his 22 season career for the New York and San Francisco Giants, before finishing his spectacular career playing with the New York Mets. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Mays won two National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and shares the record of most All-Star Games played (24) with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial. Mays ended his career with 660 home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fifth all-time. He also won a record-tying 12 Gold Glove awards beginning in 1957 when the award was introduced.
Mays' career statistics and longevity in the pre-PED era, recent acknowledgements of Mays as perhaps the finest five-tool player ever, and the overwhelming consensus of many surveys and other expert analyses carefully examining Mays' relative performance have led to a growing opinion that Mays was possibly the greatest all-around baseball player of all time. In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News's "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", making him the highest-ranking living player; he was also elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mays is one of five National League players to have had eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, along with Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols. Mays hit over 50 home runs in 1955 and 1965, representing the longest time span between 50-plus home run seasons for any player in Major League Baseball history. His final Major League Baseball appearance came on October 16 during Game 3 of the 1973 World Series.
"They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays." —Ted Williams