This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/1/2022
Graded NM/MT 8 by PSA. “The first time I saw Willie Mays in the outfield, I knew he had the greatest throwing arm that I would ever see.” These were the words of Maurice (Mo) Cunningham, a hard-hitting minor league outfielder some 20 years ago. “His accuracy was the big thing,” recalls Cunningham. “A lot of players throw hard, but he never was more than a foot off the base.” Cunningham was the center fielder on the Trenton Giants, a New York Giant farm team in the Class B Inter State League at the outset of the 1950 season. On June 24, a new player, 19-year-old outfielder Willie Mays joined the club in Hagerstown, Md., and was immediately inserted in center field by Manager Chic Genovese. In his first game in organized ball, Mays went hitless, but exhibited exceptional speed and an excellent throwing arm. Two nights later, Mays played his first game in Trenton, rapping out two hits in helping defeat New York, 4-3. What dazzled the 1,321 spectators, however, was Willie’s play in the field. Three of his five putouts were remarkable catches, with throws to third base and home plate illustrating his exceptional throwing arm. In the third inning, he sped backward and leaped high enough to spear a long fly with his bare hand, much to the amazement of the onlookers. It was quickly realized that an unusually gifted player had joined the Trenton team. The featured collectible is easily the finest NM/MT specimen that this auctioneer has ever encountered. Four spectacular upper end corners that show more as MINT endpoints than the opined NM/MT have acted as a fortress to the advances of any wear to the offered pasteboard. The centering is a pleasing rendition with an ever, ever so slight advance to the top edge. The card shows a fragile and gentle right cut along the left and right edge which all but assures the enthusiast of the cards untampered with status. The surface is a stunning rendition of bright bold colors combined with an electric like application of original gloss. The focus of the image is unlike any I have encountered before and elevates the offered card to the very top plateau. The reverse is as terrific as the obverse with a perfectly struck red and black inked bio set upon a sullen gray stock with no interruptions to be encountered. A card that tests the boundaries of the grade of NM/MT and truly appears more in line with a NM/MT+ assessment.