Sports Illustrated Classic Fall 1992 Willie Mays Newsstand Only Variant VF/NM

Sports Illustrated Classic Fall 1992 issue was a "Special Collector's Edition" that served as a historical retrospective. While the most famous version of this issue features a "Mount Rushmore" of sports on the cover (Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, and Michael Jordan), there was a Newsstand-only variant cover featuring Willie Mays.

The Fall 1992 issue of Sports Illustrated Classic was a special "Collector's Edition" that moved away from current news to focus entirely on the greatest icons and moments in sports history.

This particular issue is best known for its "40 for the Ages" feature, which ranked the most influential and legendary athletes of the 20th century.

The Cover: The "Mount Rushmore" of Sports

The cover of the Fall 1992 Classic issue is iconic, featuring a composite "Mount Rushmore" style image of four absolute legends:

• Babe Ruth (Baseball)
• Muhammad Ali (Boxing)
• Jack Nicklaus (Golf)
• Michael Jordan (Basketball)
  

At the time, Jordan was at the absolute peak of his "Dream Team" fame, having just won his second NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal. Including him alongside Ruth and Ali solidified his status as a living legend.

Key Content & Features

Unlike the weekly magazine, the Classic edition used high-quality photography and long-form retrospective essays.

• The Top 40 Athletes: The issue provided a definitive ranking of the century's greatest. While the "Big Four" were on the cover, the interior featured deep dives into stars like Jim Thorpe, Wayne Gretzky, Jackie Robinson, and Joe Montana.
• The "Unforgettable" Moments: A massive photo spread dedicated to the most visually stunning moments in sports, from "The Catch" to Bobby Orr’s flying goal.
• Ted Williams Profile: A significant retrospective on "The Splendid Splinter," focusing on his pure hitting mechanics and his time away from the game during World War II and the Korean War.
• The Evolution of the Athlete: Essays on how sports science and training had changed the "human machine" from the era of Ty Cobb to the 1990s.

Why It’s a Collector's Item

This issue was released during a "Golden Age" of sports nostalgia. Because it was printed on heavier, glossier paper than the standard weekly issues, many fans kept it as a coffee-table book. It serves as a perfect time capsule of who the sports world considered "The Greatest" before the turn of the millennium.