This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/7/2009
Graded NM/MT 8 by PSA. In 1950 the Boston Braves sent scout Bud Maughn to evaluate Mays who was playing for the Birmingham Black Barons. Maughn recommended that the Braves sign Mays but they declined. If you look further into it, if the Braves had signed Mays they would have had both Willie Mays as well as Hank Aaron in the same outfield from 1954-1973; you know that would have been impressive! With a mere eight examples graded higher than the offered example this rookie card of the man some commonly refer to as the greatest player to ever play the game rests in the top 9% of all graded examples. An absolutely stellar example that boasts a perfectly focused image as well as pure white borders that serve as a great contrast when viewing the interior image. Willie is set against what appears to be the backdrop of the batting cage, war club in hand practicing the craft that would result in 660 homers. Deep well-defined hues of brown as well as the white of his home jersey and the black of his Giants cap command the attention of any hobbyist. Each of the four corners is nearly perfectly formed and compliment the opined grade perfectly. The surface is glittering underneath a shimmering layer of gloss while the reverse has been splendidly printed with deep blue ink set against the gray stock of Bowman's 1951 issue. There is a small swath of wax at the top portion of the reverse that assures the viewer of the card's un-tampered status. A stellar example of one of the more important cards in our hobby offered in outstanding NM/MT condition.