Remembering Willie Mays

Willie Mays with the New York Giants in 1955.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mays

(May be subject to copyright)

It sounds a little bit like a Tragically Hip song, but I first got to know about Willie Mays from a baseball card. It was an issue of “Inside Sports”, and George Vecsey wrote this amazing article on baseball cards, their value, and what role they played in his own life, especially as a child. This was back in the early 1980s, before the big sports card craze.

In that article, Vecsey talked about some of the most valuable cards, such as the 1910 Honus Wagner card and – Willie Mays’ rookie card.

That was when I began to learn about someone who, although I never saw him play the game other than in highlights, I consider to be the greatest player of all time.

Willie Mays passed away a few days ago, and my mind went back to the beginning, when I was just starting out as a baseball fan and student of the game.

His story
That magazine article George Vecsey wrote also had an interesting anecdote. A collector was willing to buy that Willie Mays rookie card even though it had been folded at one point and had a crease down the middle. I get that the collector was paying for the card, because of its value. Yet, that card would have no value if it weren’t for the prestige of Willie Mays and the career he had.

Over time I came to learn more about Willie Mays. He was called the “Say Hey Kid”, and he started his career in the Negro Baseball Leagues, so we don’t know what his actual stats would have been, had he played all his time in Major League Baseball.

I also read several articles in sports magazines about him. He played the bulk of his career with the New York Giants, accompanying them on their move west to San Francisco. He ended his career in New York, but with the relatively recent expansion team the New York Mets.

There are a few things that I read that stood out in defining why I think he is the greatest baseball player of all time. Essentially, he could do it all, excelling with the glove and the bat.

Perhaps his greatest defensive play occurred in the 1954 World Series. Cleveland’s Vic Wertz hit a deep fly ball to straight away centre field, in the direction of Mays. The outfielder got a bead on the ball and made a spectacular over the shoulder catch. What is less celebrated is the fact Mays doubled off the base runner, as well, for a double play.

Offensively, the statistic that stands out is his career total of 660 home runs. At the time he retired, they were third all time in the ‘80s, behind only Hank Aaron and his 755 home runs, and Babe Ruth with his 714 home runs.

The stats
His numbers are legendary. He had a career batting average of .301; he had 3,293 hits; 1,909 runs batted in; 339 stolen bases; and the aforementioned 660 home runs.

He was a 24-time all-star; was the 1951 National League rookie of the year; the National League most valuable player in 1954 and 1965; a 12-time Gold Glove award winner; National League batting champion in 1954; led the National League in home runs in 1955, 1962, 1964, and 1965; led the National League in stolen bases in 1956, 1957, 1958, and 1959; and led the Giants to a World Series championship in 1954 and another appearance in 1962 where they lost to the New York Yankees.

He was the classic five-tool player – hit for power; hit for average; glove; arm; and steal bases.

He retired after the New York Mets’ appearance in the 1973 World Series, where they lost to Oakland.

Willie Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1979.

Silver screen
There is one last reference to Willie Mays in the ‘80s that sticks with me.

In 1989, I went to see a movie that instantly became one of my favourite movies of all time and has remained that way. It was called “Major League” and followed the exploits of the Cleveland Indians whose owner wants to make them so bad, their attendance will drop to the point she can move the team to Miami. In the process, the coaches and players have ideas of their own.

One of those players, played by a very young Wesley Snipes, was Willie Mays Hayes. He was so named because he played like Mays but ran like Hayes.

Parting thoughts
I used to get into these discussions with a couple friends of mine about who is the greatest player of all time. I always asserted it was Willie Mays because he was the consummate five tool player, and he could do it all.

He hit for average, hit for power, could throw out runners, had exceptional range in the outfield, and could steal bases.

In my mind, the Say Hey Kid is the greatest player of all time, precisely because he is so good offensively and defensively.