(LOT 43)
1952 Berk Ross Willie Mays PSA 9 MINT
PINNACLE MAYS!!!... The 1952 campaign would see the 21-year-old NY Giants budding superstar, Willie Mays, drafted into military service for the Korean War. Fresh off the heels of his "Rookie of the Year" 1951 season, Mays would only play in 34 games in 1952 before departing for the army forces on May 29th. The iconic Say Hey Kid would miss the remainder of the season and the entire 1953 campaign, not returning to the Giants until 1954 spring training. The Topps, Bowman and Berk Ross companies all included him in their 1952 sets, with PSA reflecting less than 300 encapsulated Berk Ross Mays examples on their prestigious Pop Chart. Presented here just happens to be one of those premier specimens, a PSA 9 MINT Mays that joins a meager six other MINT copies as the finest of its kind! The hallowed Willie Mays Berk Ross subject stands as one of the set's most prominent and valuable players from the 72-card Hit Parade of Champions series issued by the New York City based Berk Ross Co. Indeed, along with The Mick, Jackie, and The Kid, the Giants star center fielder is highly coveted within any 1950s compilation, let alone one of his more obscure Berk Ross subjects.

Mays' recent passing at the age of 93 has placed a huge emphasis on his unparalleled immortality, with his extraordinary list of world-class accomplishments including 660 home runs, 1,903 RBIs, 3,283 safeties to the tune of a .302 lifetime batting average, two NL MVPs (1954 & 1965), 12 Gold Gloves, and a record-setting 24 All-Star appearances. Upon his highly anticipated return to the big leagues in 1954, Willie would lead the Senior Circuit in batting and OPS with outstanding .345 and 1.078 marks, while blasting 41 dingers and leading the Giants to a world championship. This performance rightfully earned him his inaugural NL MVP Award, with Mays' remarkable season highlighted by his incredible over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, racing down a mammoth Vic Wertz blast in the deepest confines of the Polo Grounds.

This PSA 9 masterpiece reveals a crystal-clear portrait image of the legendary superstar donning his classic Giants flannels. Atypically, the illustration reveals near-perfect centering, with a myriad of Berk Ross cards exhibiting severely skewed images. Razor sharp corners and immaculate surfaces are the final superlatives justifying the world-class assessment, with this best of the best marvel tantamount to the Say Hey Kid's unequivocal standing as baseball's finest five-tool all-time player!

MIN BID $10,000
_