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Before reaching the major leagues, Willie Mays was property of the Birmingham Black Barons. He got his start in the Negro Leagues at age 17 in 1948, the year after Jackie Robinson’s Dodger debut.

The New York Giants sent scout Eddie Montague to determine if Mays could play in the big leagues. Himself a major leaguer, Montague played four seasons with the Indians starting in 1928.

With the scout’s favorable reviews, the Giants signed Mays who many consider the most complete ball player of all time.

Montague worked for the Giants for 40 years. He retired in 1982 at the age of 77.

In the collection is this Heilbroner Baseball Bureau information card filled out and signed by Montague in the then-18 year old in 1925.

Montague’s son Ed was an MLB umpire from 1974-2009.

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Willie Mays made an immediate impact once he reached the Major Leagues. The 1951 Rookie of the Year was the league’s MVP by his third season.

Overall Mays was a 24-time All Star and two-time MVP of both the regular season and the All Star Game. In centerfield he earned 12 consecutive Gold Glove Awards.

By the time he retired Mays totaled 3,293 hits, 660 homers, 1,909 RBI, and a .301 lifetime average. He was a first-ballot selection to the Hall of Fame in 1979.

In the collection is this 1990 rental car application. Especially noteworthy is that Mays listed, “Bally’s” as his employer. Shortly after getting voted into the Hall in 1979, Mays took a job with what would become Bally’s Casino.

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn decided that Mays would not be allowed in baseball if he held such a position. In 1985 Peter Ueberrroth replaced Kuhn and reinstated the inner-circle Hall of Famer.

Contracts offer a nice way to get a reliably authentic autograph, especially on signatures that are often forged.

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Who made the greatest catch in World Series history? Historians and fans alike debate the question.

Some say it was Al Gionfriddo’s grab of Joe DiMaggio’s shot down the left field line in the 1947 World Series. Others maintain that Willie Mays’ catch off of the bat of Cleveland’s Vic Wertz was better.

In the collection is this letter from longtime St. Louis sportswriter and editor Sid Kenner. After his career in media, Keener became the Director of the Hall of Fame. It is in this capacity that Keener writes about the two catches.

“Inasmuch as I saw both catches, I regard the one by Mays as the more difficult,” Keener opines. “Then again others may say that Gionfriddo was the more spectacular.

“I regret to advise that the Baseball Hall of Fame does not possess photos of those particular plays.”

The next image shows Mays’ catch.

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The date was September 29, 1954. The cavernous Polo Grounds played host to Game 1 of the World Series as the Giants took on the Indians.

Cleveland jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first behind Vic Wertz‘ two-run triple. New York clawed back to tie the score in the third.

The contest remained knotted at two apiece as the Indians came to bat in the top of the eighth inning. Hall of Fame center fielder Larry Doby walked to lead off the inning. Cleanup man Al Rosen – the ’54 AL MVP – singled Doby to second.

Up came the red-hot Wertz. The Cleveland first baseman already had seven total bases thanks for a 4-for-4 effort that included a double and a triple.

Wertz slugged a 2-1 pitch deep to centerfield. In many ballparks the 420-foot blast would be a home run. Not in the Polo Grounds. Mays turned his back on the ball and sprinted to make a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch. The Say Hey Kid’s grab kept the game tied.

Indians pitcher Bob Lemon scattered 8 hits over the first nine innings. With one out in the tenth Lemon walked Mays who promptly stole second base. Hank Thompson was issued an intentional pass to put runners on first and second.

Giants skipper Leo Durocher called on Dusty Rhodes to pinch hit. Rhodes enjoyed a career-year in ’54, hitting .341 with a .410 on-base percentage and a .695 slugging percentage.

The New York pinch-hitter made the the most of his first at bat in the Fall Classic, slugging a three-run homer to end the game. The next night Rhodes hit another homer to help put the Giants up two-games-to-none.

Years later Rhodes reflected on the two World Series homers. In a letter that can be seen by clicking here, Rhodes writes, “The two (home runs), one short, one long was kind of lucky. The first in the tenth inning was wind blown. Bob Lemon threw his glove in the stands further than I hit the ball. We are still friends.

It was Mays’ iconic catch that made Rhodes heroics possible. In the collection is this image of Mays’ magical moment. The centerfielder has added his signature to the photo. Notice the hologram from Mays’ “Say Hey Foundation” in the bottom right of the image.

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The 1962 NL MVP vote was a tough one for Willie Mays. The major league leader in home runs and total bases, Mays’ 141 RBI was more than every big leaguer but Tommy Davis. His 130 runs runs scored were outpaced only by Frank Robinson.

The Say Hey Kid boasted fine all-around play. The Gold Glover was second in the NL in dWAR, 7th in the league in steals, and first in stolen base percentage. His 10.5 WAR was tops among all major league players and helped the Giants win the pennant.

Despite his fine performance, Mays finished second in MVP voting to the Dodgers Maury Wills. The Los Angeles shortstop wowed the baseball world by setting the single-season record with 104 stolen bases. Beyond that, his numbers simply didn’t compare.

Mays’ stats in the Triple Crown categories include a .304 average, 49 homers, and 141 runs batted in. His .615 slugging percentage was bested among NL batters only by Henry Aaron.

Wills led the league by playing in 165 regular-season games and amassing 695 at bats. Though he had 208 hits, scored 130 runs, had a league-leading 10 triples and 104 stolen bases, Wills’ 99 OPS+ was below league-average. His 6.0 WAR left him tied for 8th in the NL.

Aided by the gaudy stolen base numbers, Wills garnered 8 of the 20 first-place votes in MVP balloting. Mays received 7 with with Tommy Davis and Frank Robinson earning 3 and 2, respectively.

Today’s more savvy voters likely would’ve recognized Mays’ excellence.

Shown here is an endorsement contract for the “pitch back” net that enabled youngsters to play catch by themselves. Mays received $500 for the exclusive right to use his name and likeness for the product. The length of the agreement spanned the 1962 season.

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Though the William J. Slocum Award is little known to baseball fans, those in the know regard it as one of the most prestigious awards the game has to offer.

Given each year to a person judged to have long and meritorious service to baseball, the honor has been given to the most influential men in baseball history.

Among the recipients are Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Stan Musial, and Connie Mack. The honor has also been given to first-ballot Hall of Famers Frank Robinson, Lou Brock, Tom Seaver, Reggie Jackson, and Nolan Ryan. More than 50 members of the Hall have added it to their trophy case.

In 1974 the writers added Willie Mays to the distinguished list of recipients.

In the collection is the Slocum Award given to Vin Scully in 1995.