1969 Willie Mays Game Worn & Signed San Francisco Giants Jersey, MEARS A10 & Likely Photo Match....

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100% original with likely photo matches to All-Star Game!

1969 Willie Mays Game Worn & Signed San Francisco Giants Jersey, MEARS A10 & Likely Photo Match. 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 flannel should be deeply tempted by this elite specimen, worn during the last year of a decade in which Mays was officially recognized as the greatest in Major League Baseball by The Sporting News. The road grey specimen bucked the nearly universal trend of minor league relegation subsequent to its time in the Bigs, leaving every identifier--even the rare and delightful Major League Centennial patch on left sleeve--untouched and 100% original. As we all know, total originality is the only way a jersey can achieve a perfect 10 rating from the experts at MEARS.

The experts at Resolution Photomatching supply another layer of appeal with their own document affixing "Likely Photomatch" to two images of Mays at RFK Stadium on July 23, 1969 where he represented the National League in the All-Star Game. While Resolution concedes that the image clarity is not quite sufficient to make a definitive match, they assign that "Likely Photomatch" terminology to Getty images we have identified as #51540220 and #612979356.

"San Francisco" spans the chest in the team's iconic Halloween color theme, that black and orange recurring in the trim at collar and cuffs. Verso reveals the long-retired number "24." Aforementioned Baseball Centennial patch rides left sleeve. Lower left front tail provides "W.A. Goodman & Sons" label with large embroidered flannel swatch reading, "Mays 42/3 1969." Game use is characterized as "Moderate" by the MEARS experts. Chest is signed in 9/10 blue sharpie. We should also note that Mays became the second man to reach 600 home runs while visiting the new San Diego Padres expansion team, adding that event as a possible line item on this roadster's resume. LOA from MEARS, A10. LOA from Resolution Photomatching. LOA from Heritage Auctions. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.