GOATS and Grails: A Personal Dream (Baseball Edition)

Willie Mays 1951 Bowman #305

Position: Center Field

Teams: Birmingham Black Barons (1948-1950), New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1952 and 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-1973)

Baseball Hall of Fame: 1979

“The Say Hey Kid” could do it all.  He was a 24-time All-Star, 2-time MVP and finished his career with 660 home runs.  He was also a wizard in center field where he won 12 Gold Gloves.  Mays produced perhaps the most famous defensive play in World Series history when he tracked down Vic Wertz’s deep drive at the Polo Grounds in Game 1 of the 1954 series.  Mays has numerous cards that could end up on a grail list, but my favorite is his Bowman edition from 1951.