This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/2/2022
While Mickey Mantle was getting most of the headlines as the Yankee who would replace Joe DiMaggio, who replaced Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth before him, it was another rookie centerfielder in New York named Willie Mays that actually posted better debut numbers than "The Commerce Comet", earning National League Rookie of the Year honors. But "The Say Hey Kid" would be called for military duty in his sophomore season, missing most of 1952 and all of 1953, returning at the start of 1954 to win the National League batting crown. Even with an almost two-year absence, Mays still retired as the #2 all-time home run hitter with 660-round trippers and likely would have joined Babe Ruth in the 700-homer club. The featured card of Mays has graded an impressive PSA 8 and sports near-perfect centering, wonderful central image color, true-to-form NM/MT endpoints, and a pleasing rough cut along the right edge. The reverse is completely clean and offers bold black print explaining Willie's entry into the Army. Only 10 have been graded higher at PSA.