This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/5/2007.
After a stint in the service, HOFer Willie Mays returned to organized baseball in 1954 for what may have been his best season; hitting .345 and slamming 41 home runs, he won his only batting title that season. The race for the title was so close that Mays did not secure the crown until the last day of the season. Meanwhile, the Giants won the National League pennant and the 1954 World Series. Although the Giants swept the Cleveland Indians, the series is often remembered for "The Catch," a sensational game-winning running catch made by Giants center fielder Willie Mays in Game One, snaring a long drive by Vic Wertz near the outfield wall with his back to the infield. This cap, game-used by Mays during that incredible 1954 NY Giants season, was originally acquired by the Giants batboy, who worked at the Polo Grounds from 1954-1956, along with Willie Mays' 1954 World Series bat among other items. Included is a copy of his letter attesting to the provenance, as well as a copy of the letter from the attorney who represented the cap's previous owner. This black wool baseball cap has the orange interlocking "NY" Giants logo embroidered on the front. The inner leather band has the "Tim McAuliffe" manufacturer's tag sewn into the rear. Willie Mays has signed the underside of the bill in black marker. Cap shows heavy game use, with wear and sweat stains on the inner leather band and broken cardboard in the bill. There is a tear on the green cloth on the underside of the bill that goes through the "ays" in "Mays," signature therefore grades a 5. Accompanied by a LOA from JSA. A wonderful addition to any HOF cap collection!