[214] In the first All-Star Game of 1959, Mays hit a game-winning triple against Whitey Ford; Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "Harvey Kuenn gave it honest pursuit, but the only center fielder in baseball who could have caught it hit it. [239], Fellow players and coaches recognized his talent. [A]nyone who played with him or against him would agree that he is the best. [26] Though he turned 18 in 1949, Mays did not graduate from Fairfield until 1950, which journalist Allen Barra calls "a minor mystery in Willie's life". 2. [140], Normally the third batter in the lineup, Mays was moved to fourth in 1964 before returning to third in subsequent years. Making a name for himself early in his career as one of Oakland's bash brothers along with Mark McGwire, Canseco may have actually been the better player for a short . He was later on inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. Matty Alou led off the inning with a bunt single but was still at first two outs later when Mays came up with the Giants one out from elimination. [98][99] Mays shared the inaugural NL Player of the Month award with Stan Musial in May, batting .405 with 12home runs and 29RBI; he won a second award in September (.434, 4home runs, 18RBIs). [199], On August 17, 1973, Mays hit his final (660th) home run against the Reds' Don Gullett. [135], Before the 1963 season, Mays signed a contract worth a record-setting $105,000 per season (equivalent to $929,364 in 2021). He found massive success in playing with the New York Giants and San Francisco Giants. [157][158] Mays finished third in the NL MVP voting, the ninth and final time he finished in the top five in the voting for the award. The Giants lost the series in four games. At the time, the Giants franchise was losing money. If not much, we have compiled all you need to know about Willie Mays's net worth in 2023, his . He was fined $1,000 upon returning; a sportswriter joked half the fine was for leaving, half was for returning. As recounted in San Francisco's draft report intended to shed light on the development and evolution of the city's African American communities and inform the future preservation of historic properties and other historic resources, the developer of the 3,200-square-foot . Willie's father was good-natured and spent a lot of time with his son Willie showing him the finer points of baseball. [185] After the season, Mays was honored as the winner of the inaugural Roberto Clemente Award, known at that time as the Commissioner's Award. The Series, An Illustrated History of Baseball's Postseason Showcase, 19031993, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 18:17. Willie Mays Wife. He served as a coach for the Mets for the rest of the decade, and later rejoined the Giants as a special assistant to the president and general manager. [302][303] Others mentioning him include "I Shall Be Free" by Bob Dylan, "Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke)" by Terry Cashman, which refers to the three great New York City center fielders of the 1950s, and "Willie Mays is Up at Bat" by Chuck Prophet and Kurt Lipschutz.[304][305][306]. [33], Several major league teams were interested in signing Mays, but they had to wait until he graduated from high school to offer him a contract. Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born on May 6, 1931, in the African American mill town of Westfield, Alabama. Robinson once accused him and some of his teammates of not doing enough for the civil rights movement. [b] Sarah brought young Willie to an African Methodist Episcopal Church every Sunday. Mays's autobiography records the conversation slightly differently. PUBLISHED: November 7, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. | UPDATED: November 7, 2022 at 3:48 p.m. SAN FRANCISCO In over 30 years of filmmaking, Nelson George has been to a lot of movie premieres. [51] Mays was in the on-deck circle on October3 when Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer to win the three-game NL tie-breaker series 21. [178] Oracle Park, their stadium, is at 24Willie Mays Plaza. Willie Mays's birthstone is Emerald. [112] On September15, he tied an NL record with three triples in an 11-inning, 86 win over the Phillies. [200] He made the announcement to the public on September20. [44][45] Mays responded with four hits over his next two games on June2 and3. [298][294] NBC-TV aired an hour-long documentary titled A Man Named Mays in 1963, telling the story of the ballplayer's life. Willie Mays played left field and his father, Cat Mays . Mays is the godfather of Barry Bonds, whose father, Bobby Bonds, was a friend of his when they were Giants teammates. Willie Mays Sr, or Cat as he was known, played in an industrial baseball team league for the mills and factories around Birmingham, Alabama and by all accounts was a decent player with good speed. [121] Mays trailed Cepeda by two home runs at the end of August (34 as opposed to 36), but Cepeda outhit him 106 in September to finish with 46, while Mays finished with 40. [262] The three were often the subject of debates amongst the New York fans as to who was the best center fielder in the city. [151][152] Mays won his second MVP award in 1965 behind a career-high 52 home runs, in what Barra said "may very well have [been] his best year". [60] Discharged on March1, 1954, he reported to Giants' spring training camp the following day. [81] In the middle of May, Durocher asked him to try for more home runs. Mays married Mae Louise Allen in 1971 and remained married until she succumbed to Alzheimer's disease in 2013. I am not a politician or a writer or a historian. [280] The Giants retired Mays's number 24 in May 1972. Silent Generation. [48][74], The Giants won the NL pennant and the 1954 World Series, sweeping the Cleveland Indians in four games. "You should have had it long before this. [204] Game5 was the only one Mays played; he had a pinch-hit RBI single as the Mets won 72, clinching a trip to the 1973 World Series against the Oakland Athletics. View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen. [103][104][105] Against the Reds in August, Mays broke a finger but kept it a secret to prevent opposing pitchers from targeting it. "The main thing I wanted to do was help Gaylord Perry win a game. "Same feeling. On the basketball team, he led players at all-black high schools in Jefferson County in scoring. [146] Johnson kicked him in the head and nearly knocked him out. Player stats do not include the extensive amount of exhibitions and barnstorming games Negro League teams often played. "[76] In his induction speech, Mays said, "What can I say? [293] He made multiple appearances as the mystery guest on the long-running game show What's My Line? [232] Koppett observes, "His range was limitless, and his arm so strong that he could make effective throws from the most unlikely locations and from the most unlikely body positions. [212], Mays's 24 appearances on an All-Star Game roster are tied with Musial for second all-time, behind only Hank Aaron's 25. The catch prevented two Indians' runners from scoring, preserving a tie game. Willie Mays appeared as himself in the animated feature Willie Mays and the Say-Hey Kid, which was broadcast in 1972-1973 as part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie show. Major League Baseball legend Willie Mays was first married to Margherite Wendell Chapman, and the couple was married for five years before they decided to separate. [3] Mays played several sports at Fairfield Industrial High School. 1, Willie Mays. Then I found out there wasn't. [222] Following his rookie year, Mays went on a barnstorming tour with an All-Star team assembled by Campanella, playing in Negro League stadiums around the southern United States. [9] His parents never married[9] but separated when Mays was three. Everyone knows about the stickball games he played in the Harlem streets. This is because of a discrepancy in the RBI total for, Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke), List of Negro league baseball players who played in Major League Baseball, List of Major League Baseball home run records, List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a center fielder leaders, List of Major League Baseball career putouts as an outfielder leaders, List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders, "Mays at 75: The Say-Hey Kid has lots of fond memories, few regrets", "Reams of Sports: Mays Challenges for Rookie Honors, "New film remembers long-gone West Jefferson community of Westfield, home of Mays, Clemon", "Baseball Great and the Fort Eustis Connection", "Chicago Cubs at New York Giants Box Score, June 25, 1954", "Players with at least 30 HR by All-Star Game", "Philadelphia Phillies at New York Giants Box Score, April 21, 1957", "New York Giants at Chicago Cubs Box Score, May 21, 1957", "St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants Box Score, September 28, 1958", "San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, June 24, 1960", "San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies Box Score, September 15, 1960", "San Francisco Giants Team History & Encyclopedia", "San Francisco Giants 14, Milwaukee Braves 4", "Willie Mays Finally Has Love of San Francisco Giants Fans", "Willie Mays Says Watch Pirates Next Season", "1962 San Francisco Giants Batting Statistics", "Houston Colt .45s at San Francisco Giants Box Score, September 30, 1962", "Willie Mays Postseason Batting Gamelogs", "July 2, 1963 Milwaukee Braves at San Francisco Giants Box Score and Play by Play", "Letting Off Steam confrontations between players, fans and umpires", "Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Box Score, August 22, 1965", "San Francisco Giants at Houston Astros Box Score, September 14, 1965", "A complete list of every 50-homer season", "San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers Box Score, September 7, 1966", "They Wuz Robbed: Tales of Head-Scratching MVP Voting", "San Francisco Giants at Cincinnati Reds Box Score, June 7, 1967", "Houston Astros at San Francisco Giants Box Score, July 14, 1967", "Mays Honored as Top Player of 1960s by Sporting News", "Montreal Expos at San Francisco Giants Box Score, July 18, 1970", "New York Mets at San Francisco Giants Box Score, May 31, 1971", "Turn back the clock: Willie Mays played a vital role on '73 mets", "Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets Box Score, August 17, 1973", "1973 World Series Game 2, Mets at Athletics, October 14", "1973 World Series Game 3, Athletics at Mets, October 16", "All-Star Game Records: Career All-Star Game Hitting Records", "Ten Reasons Willie Mays is the Greatest Ever", "100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News: A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac", Don Zimmer, Who Spent 60 Eventful Years in Baseball, Dies at 83, "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Batted In", "Career Leaders & Records for Def. While there, he served as a special assistant to the casino's president and as a greeter. You can grow up to be what you want. [48][179] In the NL Championship Series (NLCS) against the Pirates, Mays had a home run and three RBI in the first two games. [282][283], Mays has met with United States Presidents. He hit .262 for the season and stood out because of his excellent fielding and base running. [200][201] Having considered retirement all year, Mays finally told the Mets officially on September9 that 1973 would be his last season. I figured there had to be a relay. [48] He got off to a fast start in 1971, the year he turned 40. [58] When Mays was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979, Duke Snider, who finished second in voting that year, said, "Willie really more or less deserves to be in by himself. Brandy made her big break when she landed the lead role on "Moesha." The singer made headlines for a feud with Monica on the song, "The Boys is Mine." She featured in one of Snoop Dogg's music videos. Sports Collectibles carries all the Willie Mays memorabilia. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, only his first year of eligibility. [284] He was the Tee Ball Commissioner at the 2006 White House Tee Ball Initiative on July30, 2006, during George W. Bush's presidency. "I do not recall hearing another ovation given a man after the pitcher has started to work on him," Mays biographer Arnold Hano wrote. Pin. [97] As he had in 1954, Mays vied for the NL batting title until the final game of the season. More bio, uniform, draft, salary info "I thought I'd be crying by now," he told reporters and Mets' executives at a press conference that day, "but I see so many people here who are my friends, I can'tBaseball and me, we had what you might call a love affair. "I was thinking of the best way to get the run in," Mays explained the bunt, pointing out that McCovey and Bonds were due up next. Games as OF", "Career Leaders & Records for WAR Position Players", "Mays' Locker Was Source of AmphetaminesMilner", "Hall of Fame center fielder Duke Snider dies at 84", "Willie, Mickey and The Duke Mantle Wins This Battle", "Today in Baseball History: When Mantle and Mays were banned from baseball", "For Mazzilli, nothing like meeting Mays", "Mets retire Willie Mays' No. [70] He had 36 home runs through July28. What kind of numbers would Mays have put up there? In front of the main entrance is a nine-foot-tall statue of Mays, who has a private box at the stadium. [206] He stumbled four times in the first two games, including a fielding error in Game2 that allowed the Athletics to tie the game and force extra innings. "[260] Hirsch wrote "It would be nave to think Mays never took amphetamines" but admits that Mays's amphetamine use has never been proven, calling Mays "the most famous player who supposedly took amphetamines". In the 1970's, Mays was good friends with Gambino Crime Family caporegime Greg DePalma, often playing golf with him. [254] David Schoenfield of ESPN, James, and Barra each think he should have won the NL MVP Award at least seven times. [143] Ruben Amaro, Sr., hit a ball to the scoreboard at Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium. Mays believed this late motion added power when he swung. Willie Mays' siblings are Sarah and Ernestine. [231] Barra claimed in 2004, "Most modern fans would pick Willie Mays as the best all-around player in the second half of the twentieth century. Starting in December, Joe Posnanski began counting down the 100 greatest baseball players. [269] Aaron wished Mays had spoken out more on racial issues. [194] In his Mets debut against the Giants on May14, Mays put New York ahead to stay with a fifth-inning home run, receiving ecstatic applause from the fans at Shea Stadium. [50] During the pennant race, Mays's fielding and strong throwing arm were instrumental in several important Giants' victories. [38][41] Mays appeared in his first major league game on May25 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park, batting third. He kept the injury a secret from opposing players, making two or three practice throws before games to discourage them from running on him. "[97], At the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, former Mets teammate John Milner testified Mays kept a bottle of liquid amphetamine in his locker at Shea Stadium. [130][131] The Giants faced the Dodgers in a three-game playoff series. [87] Though his RBI (84) and batting average (.296) were his lowest for nearly a decade, Barra observed that "Willie Mays was still the best all-around player in the National League. [307][104] They separated in 1962 and divorced in 1963, with Marghuerite taking Michael for the majority of the time. 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