Bally's Park Place sport jacket specially made for, and worn by, Willie Mays during his tenure as a greeter and goodwill ambassador for the casino during the 1980s. This is an exceedingly rare Willie Mays item, and also historically important. As most people remember, Mays' job with the casino resulted in Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn placing Mays on MLB's ineligible list, meaning he was suspended from baseball. It was same list that included Joe Jackson, Eddie Cicotte, and the other infamous "eight men out" who conspired to "throw" the 1919 World Series. It was also the same list that Mickey Mantle's name would soon appear on when he accepted a similar job with Claridge Casino. Mays signed a ten-year contract with Bally's Park Place in 1979, never realizing it would cost him his job as hitting instructor with the New York Mets. Kuhn's decision was controversial at the time, with most people feeling that the suspension was not warranted. Kuhn refused to relent however, and it wasn't until Peter Ueberroth became commissioner in 1985 that both Mays and Mantle were officially reinstated.
In addition to being the first Willie Mays personally worn Bally's sports jacket we have ever seen, let alone handled, the offered jacket also comes with exceptional provenance. This jacket was personally obtained from Willie Mays in the late 1980s by our consignor, who was a signing-show promoter at the time. Mays was a frequent signer at our consignor's various sports shows and the two became friends. One day Mays asked him if he would like to have his Bally's jacket as a souvenir. Our consignor gladly accepted it and asked Mays if he would also sign it for him. Mays was only too happy to oblige and the jacket has been one of our consignor's prized possessions for nearly forty years.
The brown sports jacket features the Bally's logo on the left breast. A manufacturer's label from "Robert Panagos Custom Tailors Los Angeles" appears on the interior left side. A second label, on the interior right side, reads "Custom Styled for Say Hey Willie Mays." Mays has signed the jacket in blue marker (grading 9/10) on the "Say Hey" label. The jacket displays moderate wear and remains in Excellent condition. As further provenance, our consignor has also included a Willie Mays endorsed check, which was issued to, and cashed by Mays in 1987, for one of his appearances at our consignor's signing show. Full LOA from PSA (for the signature in the jacket only).
Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 23.49 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.