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1965-68 Willie Mays Game Used Bat, PSA/DNA GU 9.5....
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Description
One of the finest Mays gamers on Earth
1965-68 Willie Mays Game Used Bat, PSA/DNA GU 9.5. He was rated number two on The Sporting News' list of Baseball's 100 Greatest Players of the Twentieth Century, topped only by the iconic Babe Ruth. There are many who would contend that it was Mays deserved top billing--in the end, it comes down to your particular definition of "greatness." That Babe Ruth was the most noteworthy figure in twentieth century baseball is impossible to dispute. And it's true that he was the game's premier pitcher before he became the game's premier slugger. But if baseball's "five tools" is the metric--hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning, throwing and fielding--Mays' superiority is clear.Win, place or show, the Say Hey Kid is properly considered an essential component of any quality baseball collection, and those with a concentration in game used lumber should be deeply tempted by this elite specimen. The heavy coating of pine tar that extends from the upper handle to the Hillerich & Bradsby center brand is a key attribute of top Mays gamers, as is the uniquely styled number "24" on the knob, written in the star center fielder's own hand.
Leading expert John Taube characterizes game use as "excellent," though it hardly requires an expert to come to this determination. Every hallmark of a "pounded" gamer is here--ball marks, stitch impressions, grain separation, cleat marks, rack streaks. A slight handle crack spelled the end for this block letter Hillerich & Bradsby S2, though this (and the more serious grain separation) has been professionally repaired. The bat still looks like Rocky Balboa at the end of the movie.
Length of thirty-five inches and weight of thirty-four and a half ounces perfectly match factory ordering records, moving this remarkable relic within a half point of a flawless PSA/DNA rating. A 9/10 black sharpie signature on the upper barrel completes the package. LOA from PSA/DNA, GU 9.5. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
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