Tributes (more here) are coming in after the death yesterday of baseball great Willie Mays at 93. Mays played most of his phenomenal career with the Giants, first in New York City, then in San Francisco, and was elected almost unanimously to the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, in 1979. Mays' accomplishments are legendary, as summarized by Major League Baseball writer Chris Haft:
"Mays still holds lifetime Major League records for putouts by an outfielder (7,095), homers by a center fielder (640) and homers in extra innings (22) -- most notably a 16th-inning drive that ended a classic scoreless standoff between Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal on July 2, 1963, in San Francisco.
Thriving in All-Star Games enhanced Mays' image as the consummate ballplayer. He holds or shares All-Star records for appearances (24), at-bats (75), runs (20), hits (23), triples (three), extra-base hits (eight) and total bases (40). His feats moved Ted Williams, another of the game's greats, to proclaim, "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays." Mays received another All-Star tribute when he was honored before the 2007 Midsummer Classic at San Francisco's AT&T Park."
Mays' 1979 Hall of Fame enshrinement was a mere formality. He received 409 of 432 votes cast -- 94.7 percent, one of the highest ever to that point. [snip]
Mays performed with a singular flair that made him one of the game's most popular stars. He used a basket catch to snare fly balls, holding his glove around waist level. He ran the bases with equal parts abandon and acumen, prompting the great Ty Cobb to declare that Mays restored the art of baserunning to the game. Displaying a refreshing enthusiasm early in his career, he frequently greeted people with a high-pitched 'Hey,' leading New York sportswriters to dub him 'The Say Hey Kid.' A generation of Little Leaguers and even professionals from coast to coast ached to wear No. 24, hopeful of emulating the great Mays." (our emphasis)
Statistics don't begin to portray the impact Mays had on baseball. He was a contemporary of the likes of Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial, among many others of high calibre, but seemed to have an extra dimension in both his hitting and fielding.
Mays brought an infectious joy to his game that the fans reflected back. In 2015, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Sadly, the "Say Hey Kid" was to be honored at Birmingham, Alabama's Rickwood Field where he was a member of the old Negro League's Black Barons team from 1948 to 1950 as part of its Juneteenth celebration.
Willie Mays wasn’t just a singular athlete, blessed with an unmatched combination of grace, skill and power. He was also a wonderfully warm and generous person - and an inspiration to an entire generation. I’m lucky to have spent time with him over the years, and Michelle and I… pic.twitter.com/tpO3O9B9yc
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 19, 2024
(photo: Sports Illustrated)
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