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Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Center fielder
Born: May 6, 1931 (1931-05-06) (age 77)
Westfield, Alabama
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
May 25, 1951
for the New York Giants
Final game
September 8, 1973
for the New York Mets
Career statistics
Batting average     . A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the Outfielder in Baseball who plays defense in center field - the baseball fielding position Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets (4-3 Reggie Jackson, "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 302
Home runs     660
Hits     3,283
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected     1979
Vote     94. In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians (4-0 All-Star Game Labor strife and more moving 1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Labor strife and more moving 1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets (4-3 Reggie Jackson, The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America The Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVP Award is given to the most outstanding player in each year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player selected for his character and charitable contributions to his community The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3 Willie Stargell, 7% (first ballot)

Willie Howard Mays, Jr. (born May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama; outside of Birmingham) is a retired American baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing his career with the New York Mets. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3 Willie Stargell, Mays won two MVP awards and tied a record with twenty-four appearances in the All-Star Game. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League He ended his career with 660 career home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. Many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all-time.

Mays' first Major League manager, Leo Durocher, described his abundance of talent, saying: "He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw, and field. Leo Ernest Durocher ( July 27, 1905 – October 7, 1991) nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American Infielder and And he had that other ingredient that turns a superstar into a super superstar. He lit up the room when he came in. He was a joy to be around. "[1]

Upon his Hall of Fame induction, Mays was asked to name the best player that he had seen during his career. Mays replied, "I don't mean to be bashful, but I was. "[2]

Contents

Professional career

Early years

Mays' professional baseball career began in 1947, when he played briefly with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in Tennessee. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game The Chattanooga Choo-Choos were a professional Baseball team based in Chattanooga Tennessee. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Shortly thereafter, Mays returned to his home state and joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. The Negro American League was one of the several Negro Leagues which were created during the time organized baseball was segregated Over the next several years, a number of Major League baseball franchises sent scouts to watch him play. The first was the Milwaukee Braves. The scout that found him, Bud Maughn, referred him to the Braves but they declined. He then tipped a scout for the New York Giants. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Finally, in 1950 Mays signed with the Giants and went to their Class-B affiliate in Trenton, New Jersey. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies (4-0 All-Star Trenton is the Capital of the US state of New Jersey and the County seat of Mercer County. [3]

After Mays hit . 353 in Trenton, he began the 1951 season at AAA Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional Minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis Minnesota until 1960 This article refers to the former minor league that existed from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 With the Millers, Mays displayed his offensive skills and defensive ability. After he hit . 477 in 35 games, Mays was called up to the Majors on May 25, 1951. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January During his brief tenure in Minneapolis, he played with two other eventual Hall of Famers Hoyt Wilhelm and Ray Dandridge. James Hoyt Wilhelm ( July 26, 1922 in Huntersville North Carolina - August 23, 2002 in Sarasota Florida) was an American Raymond Emmitt Dandridge ( August 31 1913 - February 12 1994) was an American Third baseman in Baseball 's

Major leagues

New York Giants (1951–57)

Mays began his career with zero hits in his first twelve at bats. In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base On his 13th at bat, he hit a homer over the left field fence of the Polo Grounds off Warren Spahn. Warren Edward Spahn ( April 23, 1921 &ndash November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League [4] Mays' average improved steadily throughout the rest of the season. Although his . 274 average, 68 RBI and 20 homers (in 121 games) were among the lowest of his career, he still won the 1951 Rookie of the Year Award. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America During the Giants' amazing comeback in August and September 1951 to overtake the Dodgers in the 1951 pennant race, Mays' fielding, and great arm were often instrumental to several important Giant victories. [5] Mays ended the regular season in the on-deck circle when Bobby Thomson hit the Shot Heard 'Round the World against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Robert Brown Thomson (born October 25, 1923 in Glasgow, Scotland) nicknamed The Staten Island Scot, is a Scottish In Baseball, the " Shot Heard 'Round the World " is the term given to the Walk-off home run hit by New York Giants The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA

The Catch: Willie Mays hauls in Vic Wertz's drive at the warning track in the 1954 World Series.
The Catch: Willie Mays hauls in Vic Wertz's drive at the warning track in the 1954 World Series.

The Giants went on to meet the New York Yankees in the 1951 World Series. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant This, his first World Series Game, October 4, 1951, was Mickey Mantle's as well. The first inning was unique as it was the only time that these two men batted back-to-back in the major leagues. Willie Mays flied out to right field (Mickey Mantle) for the third out in the top of the first; Mickey Mantle then took his at-bat for the Yankees in the bottom of the first, flying out to right field as well. Mays hit poorly and the Giants lost the series four games to two games. The six-game set was the only time that Mays and the aging Joe DiMaggio would play on the same field. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe [6]Mays was part of the first all-black outfield in major league history, along with Hall of Famer Monte Irvin and Hank Thompson, in Game One of the 1951 World Series. A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of Museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin (born February 25, 1919 in Haleburg Alabama) is a former Left fielder and right-handed batter in the Henry Curtis Thompson ( December 8, 1925 &ndash September 30, 1969) best known as Hank Thompson, was an American player [7]

The United States Army drafted Mays in 1952 and he subsequently missed part of the 1952 season and all of the 1953 season. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The Draft redirects here For other uses see Draft. Conscription in the United States has been employed several times usually during hmm 1952ά Auto Racing NASCAR Championship - Tim Flock AAA Racing: Troy Athletics Marathon September 12 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner Despite the conflict in Korea, Mays spent most of his time in the army playing baseball at Fort Eustis. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Fort Eustis is a United States Army military installation located in Newport News Virginia. [8] Mays missed about 266 games due to military service. It is possible that had Mays played in those games, he rather than Hank Aaron would have broken Babe Ruth's career home run record of 714. Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (born February 5 1934 in Mobile Alabama) nicknamed "Hammer" "Hammerin' Hank” or "Bad Henry” is a retired

Mays returned to the Giants in 1954, hitting for a league-leading . Artistic Gymnastics 1954 World Championships Men's all-around champion Viktor Chukarin, USSR Women's 345 batting average and also slugging 41 home runs. Mays won the National League Most Valuable Player Award and the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. The S Rae Hickok Belt was a trophy awarded to the top professional athlete of the year In addition, the Giants won the National League pennant and the 1954 World Series, sweeping the Cleveland Indians in four games. The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The 1954 series is perhaps best remembered for "The Catch," an astonishing, over-the-shoulder running grab by Mays in deep center field of the Polo Grounds of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz during the 8th inning of Game 1. The Catch refers to a memorable defensive Baseball play by Willie Mays on September 29,, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the The catch prevented two Indians runners from scoring, and preserved a tied score that the Giants went on to break in the 10th inning for the victory.

Mays went on to perform at a high level each of the last three years the Giants were in New York City. In 1957, he won the first of twelve consecutive Gold Glove Awards. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to At the same time, Mays continued to finish in the NL's top 5 in a variety of offensive categories. Mays, Roberto Clemente, also with 12, and Ken Griffey, Jr. Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18 1934 &ndash December 31 1972 was a professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball Right fielder. are the only outfielders to have more than 10 career Gold Gloves. 1957 also saw Mays become the fourth player in Major League history to join the 20-20-20 Club (2B,3B,HR). Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees (4-3 Lew Burdette, MVP No player had joined the "club" since 1941, and another would not join until 1979 (George Brett). George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953 in Glen Dale West Virginia) is a former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals

San Francisco Giants (1958–72)

After the 1957 season, the Giants franchise relocated to San Francisco, California. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city First, Mays owned homes in two San Francisco locations. [5]. Thereafter, Mays bought a palatial home in nearby Atherton. Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. [9]

Mays' quest for the NL batting title came down to the final game of the 1958 season, just as it had in 1954. In his final regular season game, Mays collected three hits. Unfortunately for Mays, the Philadelphia Phillies' Richie Ashburn won the title. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn ( March 19 1927 — September 9 1997) also known by the nickname " Whitey " due to

The Giants were not one of the top teams in the National League between the years 1955 and 1960. Athletics Marathon March 19 &ndash Pan American Games Marathon, Mexico City Mexico Athletics Marathon December 4 &mdash Fukuoka Marathon, Japan Men's Winner Barry During that span, the team never finished higher than 3rd place or won more than 83 games in an individual season. In an attempt to improve the team, the Giants hired former Giant player Alvin Dark before the start of the 1961 season. Alvin Ralph Dark (born January 7 1922 in Comanche Oklahoma) nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox" is a former Shortstop and manager Athletics Marathon August 12 &mdash Enschede Marathon, Netherlands Men's Winner Dark promptly named Mays the team captain and the team showed improvement on the field. They finished the '61 season in third place and won 85 games, more than they had in any of the previous six campaigns. Mays would have one of his best games on April 30, 1961, hitting 4 home runs against the Milwaukee Braves (Hank Aaron also hit 2 that day). [10] In fact Mays is the only Major Leaguer to have both a 3 triple game and a 4 home run game. [6] [7]

The Giants won the National League pennant in 1962. That year, Mays played in 162 games, batted . 304, and led the team in eight major offensive categories. The season was not without turmoil or noteworthy moments. The team actually finished the 162-game regular season in a tie for first place with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The Giants went on to win a three-game playoff series versus the Dodgers and advanced to play in the World Series. A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade The 1962 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since moving Unfortunately for them, the Giants lost to the Yankees in seven games. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Mays hit just . 250 with only two extra-base hits. It was his last World Series appearance as a member of the Giants.

In both the 1963 and 1964 seasons Mays scored over 100 runs, batted in over 100 runs, and hit 85 total home runs. On July 2, 1963, Mays played in a game when future Hall of Fame members Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal each threw 15 scoreless innings. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Warren Edward Spahn ( April 23, 1921 &ndash November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20 1937 in Laguna Verde Dominican Republic) is a former Right-handed Pitcher in In the bottom of the 16th inning, Mays hit a home run off Spahn and the Giants won the game 1-0. [11] 1964 marked the end of Alvin Dark's tenure as the Giants manager. The Giants hired Herman Franks after Dark left. Herman Louis Franks (born January 4 1914 in Price Utah) is a former Catcher, coach, manager, general manager

Mays won his second MVP award in 1965 behind a career-high 52 home runs. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Minnesota Twins (4-3 Sandy Koufax, MVP In fact, Mays hit career home run number 500 on September 13, 1965 off Don Nottebart. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Auto Racing Stock car racing: Fred Lorenzen wins the Daytona 500 NASCAR Championship Donald Edward Nottebart ( January 23 1936 &ndash October 4 2007) was an American right-handed Pitcher in Major Warren Spahn, off whom Mays hit his first career home run, was on the Giants at the time. After the home run, Spahn greeted Mays in the dugout. Spahn asked: "Was it anything like the same feeling?" Mays replied "It was exactly the same feeling [and the] same pitch, too. "[12]

On August 22, 1965 Mays and Sandy Koufax acted as peacemakers during a 14-minute brawl between the Giants and Dodgers. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Sanford Koufax (ˈkoʊfæks (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935) is an American Left-handed former Pitcher in The brawl broke out after an incident between San Francisco pitcher Juan Marichal and Dodgers catcher John Roseboro. Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20 1937 in Laguna Verde Dominican Republic) is a former Right-handed Pitcher in John Junior Roseboro ( May 13, 1933 - August 16, 2002) was a Major League Baseball Catcher and coach. [13]

Mays played in over 150 games for 13 consecutive years, (a major-league record) from 1954 to 1966, his last 100-RBI season. That season, he finished 3rd in the NL MVP voting. It was the ninth and final time he finished in the top 5 in the voting for the award. [14] In 1970, the Sporting News named Mays as the "Player of the Decade" for the 1960s. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports Other career milestones include: in 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking living player. In 1998 The Sporting News compiled a list of Baseball's Greatest Players Later that year, he was also elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 1999 MasterCard sponsored the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mays is the only Major League player to have hit a home run in every inning from the 1st through the 16th. He finished his career with a record 22 extra-inning home runs. Mays is one of three NL players to have eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, along with Mel Ott and Sammy Sosa. Melvin Thomas "Mel" Ott ( March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958) nicknamed "Master Melvin" was a Major League Baseball Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a Right fielder who is currently

"They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays. " — Ted Williams[15]

Willie hit career home run number 600 off San Diego's Mike Corkins in September of 1969. Plagued by injuries that season, he managed only 13 home runs. Mays enjoyed a resurgence in 1970, hitting 28 homers and got off to a fast start in 1971, the year he turned 40. He had 15 home runs at the All Star break, but faded down the stretch and finished with 18.

During his time on the Giants, Mays was friends with fellow player Bobby Bonds. Bobby Lee Bonds ( March 15 1946 – August 23 2003) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball from When Bobby's son, Barry Bonds, was born, Bobby asked Willie Mays to be Barry's godfather. Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. Mays and the younger Bonds have maintained a close familial relatonship over the years.

New York Mets (1972–73)

In May 1972, Mays was traded to the New York Mets for Charlie Williams and $50,000. Labor strife and more moving 1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. There have been a number of notable people named Charles Williams: United Kingdom Sir Charles Hanbury Williams (1708&ndash1759 a British The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been [16] At the time, the Giants franchise was losing money. Owner Horace Stoneham could not guarantee Mays an income after retirement and the Mets offered Mays a position as a coach upon his retirement. Horace C Stoneham ( April 27 1903 — January 7 1990) was the principal owner of Major League Baseball 's New York/San Francisco [17]

Mays remained tremendously popular in New York long after the Giants had left for San Francisco, and the trade was seen as a coup for the Mets from a public relations standpoint. In his Mets debut, Mays hit a game-winning home run in the 5th inning against his former team, the Giants. Mays' tenure with the Mets was relatively short. He played part of the 1972 season and all of the 1973 season before he retired. Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely However, he only played in 133 games with the team. Even though he only played sparingly in 1973, Mays was on the roster for the Mets when the team appeared in the 1973 World Series and, fittingly, got the first hit of the series. The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions The Mets lost the series to the Oakland Athletics in 7 games. The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. Mays only registered seven at-bats in the series and got two hits. During the 1973 Series he fell down in the outfield; he later said "growing old is just a helpless hurt. " In 1972 and 1973 Mays was the oldest regular position player in baseball. When he retired after the 1973 season Mays had a lifetime batting average of . 302 and 660 home runs.

After he retired as a player, Mays coached for the New York Mets until 1979. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. During this time, he also served the Mets in a public relations capacity. While the Mets have not formally retired number 24, only two players have worn it since Mays left the organization. The question of whether or not the Mets should retire number 24 has been an ongoing debate. Those in favor say the fact that Mays was and still is considered the greatest all-around baseball player of all time speaks for itself. Those opposed to the idea feel that Mays had nothing left by the time he joined the Mets and that his contributions while in a Met uniform were minimal. There is speculation that former Mets owner Joan Whitney Payson, a longtime admirer of Mays, wanted to have number 24 retired once he hung up his spikes, but never got around to issuing an official order. Joan Whitney Payson ( February 5 1903 – October 4 1975) was an American heiress businesswoman Philanthropist, patron

Statistics

Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB K BA OBP SLG TB SH SF IBB HBP GDP
1951 20 NYG NL 121 464 59 127 22 5 20 68 7 4 57 60 . Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a Statistic used in Team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire In Baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching Third base after hitting the ball with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay (see In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate In Baseball, a runner is charged and the fielders involved are credited with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or Lead off A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. In Baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i In Baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly if the following four criteria are met There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball, hit by pitch ( HBP) or hit batsman ( HB) refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball 274 . 356 . 472 219 1 2 11
1952 21 NYG NL 34 127 17 30 2 4 4 23 4 1 16 17 . 236 . 326 . 409 52 0 1 2
1954 23 NYG NL 151 565 119 195 33 13 41 110 8 5 66 57 . 345 . 411 . 667 377 0 7 2 12
1955 24 NYG NL 152 580 123 185 18 13 51 127 24 4 79 60 . 319 . 400 . 659 382 0 7 13 4 12
1956 25 NYG NL 152 578 101 171 27 8 36 84 40 10 68 65 . 296 . 369 . 557 322 0 3 20 1 16
1957 26 NYG NL 152 585 112 195 26 20 35 97 38 19 76 62 . 333 . 407 . 626 366 0 6 15 1 14
1958 27 SF NL 152 600 121 208 33 11 29 96 31 6 78 56 . The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. 347 . 419 . 583 350 0 6 12 1 11
1959 28 SF NL 151 575 125 180 43 5 34 104 27 4 65 58 . 313 . 381 . 583 335 0 6 9 2 11
1960 29 SF NL 153 595 107 190 29 12 29 103 25 10 61 70 . 319 . 381 . 555 330 0 9 11 4 15
1961 30 SF NL 154 572 129 176 32 3 40 123 18 9 81 77 . 308 . 393 . 584 334 0 4 15 2 14
1962 31 SF NL 162 621 130 189 36 5 49 141 18 2 78 85 . 304 . 384 . 615 382 0 3 11 4 11
1963 32 SF NL 157 596 115 187 32 7 38 103 8 3 66 83 . 314 . 380 . 582 347 0 7 5 2 15
1964 33 SF NL 157 578 121 171 21 9 47 111 19 5 82 72 . 296 . 383 . 607 351 1 3 13 1 11
1965 34 SF NL 157 558 118 177 21 3 52 112 9 4 76 71 . 317 . 398 . 645 360 2 2 16 0 11
1966 35 SF NL 152 552 99 159 29 4 37 103 5 1 70 81 . 288 . 368 . 556 307 1 4 11 2 13
1967 36 SF NL 141 486 83 128 22 2 22 70 6 0 51 92 . 263 . 334 . 453 220 2 3 7 2 12
1968 37 SF NL 148 498 84 144 20 5 23 79 12 6 67 81 . 289 . 372 . 488 243 0 6 7 2 13
1969 38 SF NL 117 403 64 114 17 3 13 58 6 2 49 71 . 283 . 362 . 437 176 0 4 7 3 8
1970 39 SF NL 139 478 94 139 15 2 28 83 5 0 79 90 . 291 . 390 . 506 242 0 6 3 3 7
1971 40 SF NL 136 417 82 113 24 5 18 61 23 3 112 123 . 271 . 425 . 482 201 1 4 11 3 8
1972 41 SF NL 19 49 8 9 2 0 0 3 3 0 17 5 . 184 . 394 . 224 11 1 0 1 0 4
NYM NL 69 195 27 52 9 1 8 19 1 5 43 43 . "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. 267 . 402 . 446 87 3 0 5 1 5
1973 42 NYM NL 66 209 24 44 10 0 6 25 1 0 27 47 . 211 . 303 . 344 72 1 1 0 1 7
Totals: 2,992 10,881 2,062 3,283 523 140 660 1,903 338 103 1,464 1,526 . 302 . 384 . 557 6,066 13 91 192 44 251

Post-playing days

After Mays stopped playing baseball, he remained an active person. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Just as he had during his playing days, Mays continued to appear on various TV shows, in films, and in other forms of non-sports related media. [19]

On January 23, 1979, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) It was his first year of eligibility and he had appeared on 409 of the 432 ballots cast (roughly 95 percent). [20] Shortly after, he took a job at the Park Place (now Bally's Atlantic City) casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Bally's Atlantic City is a hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City New Jersey that opened in 1979 New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. While there, he served as a Special Assistant to the President and as a greeter. Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle was also a greeter during that time. A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of Museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field Mickey Charles Mantle ( October 20, 1931 &ndash August 13, 1995) was an American Baseball player who was inducted When he heard of this, Bowie Kuhn, Baseball Commissioner, suspended both men from involvement in organized baseball. Bowie Kent Kuhn (October 28 1926 &ndash March 15 2007 was an American Lawyer and sports administrator who served as the 5th commissioner of Major League Baseball The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Peter Ueberroth, Kuhn's successor, lifted the suspension in 1985. Peter Victor Ueberroth (born September 2, 1937) is an American executive

Since 1986, Willie Mays has served as Special Assistant to the President of the San Francisco Giants. Mays' number 24 is retired by the San Francisco Giants. AT&T Park, the Giants stadium, is located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. AT&T Park is an open-air ballpark, home to the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. In front of the main entrance to the stadium is a larger-than-life statue of Mays, (see image).

Special honors and tributes

A statue of Mays in front of AT&T Park
A statue of Mays in front of AT&T Park

When Mays' godson Barry Bonds tied him for third on the all-time home run list, Mays greeted and presented him with a diamond-studded Olympic torch (given to Mays for his role in carrying the Olympic Torch during its tour through the U. AT&T Park is an open-air ballpark, home to the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Loongson (龙芯 academic name Godson, also known as Dragon chip) is a family of general-purpose CPUs developed at ICT (Institute of Computing Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. S. ). In 1992, when Bonds signed a free agent contract with the Giants, Mays personally offered Bonds his retired #24 (the number Bonds wore in Pittsburgh) but Bonds declined, electing to wear #25 instead, honoring his father Bobby Bonds who wore #25 with the Giants. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Toronto Blue Jays over Atlanta Braves (4-2 Pat Borders, MVP The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bobby Lee Bonds ( March 15 1946 – August 23 2003) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball from [21]

Willie Mays Day was proclaimed by former mayor Willie Brown and reaffirmed by mayor Gavin Newsom to be every May 24 in San Francisco, paying tribute to both his birth in the month (May 6), and his number (24). Willie Brown may refer to Willie Brown (politician (born 1934 Mayor of San Francisco 1996–2004 Speaker of the California State Assembly 1980–1995 Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10 1967 is the current mayor of San Francisco. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.

On 2004-05-24, during the fifty-year anniversary of The Catch, Willie Mays received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Yale University [8]. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned The Catch refers to a memorable defensive Baseball play by Willie Mays on September 29,, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series between the

On 2005-12-06 he was recognized for his accomplishments on and off the field when he received the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation was created Bobby Bragan, who has worked since 1992 to motivate the youth of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to become better scholars

Willie Mays received an honorary doctorate from Dartmouth College on 2007-06-10. Dartmouth College ( is a private, Coeducational University located in Hanover, New Hampshire, U Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem

At the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco, Mays received a special tribute for his legendary contributions to the game, and threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL and the National League

On December 5, 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Mays into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor Maria Owings Shriver ( born November 6 1955 is an award-winning American journalist a prolific author and First Lady of California. Conceived by First Lady Maria Shriver, the California Hall of Fame was established with The California Museum for History Women and the Arts to honor legendary individuals The California Museum for History Women and the Arts – home of the California Hall of Fame – is housed in the State Archives Building in Sacramento, one block [22]

On 4 June 2008, Community Board 10 in Harlem NYC, voted unanimously to name an 8 block service Road that connects to the Harlem River Drive from 155th Street to 163rd Street running adjacent to his beloved Polo Grounds - Willie Mays Drive

Personal life

Mays was married to the former Margherite Wendell Chapman in 1956. They adopted a son before divorcing in 1961.

Origin of "Say Hey Kid" nickname

It is not clear how Mays became known as the "Say Hey Kid". One story is that in 1951, Barney Kremenko, a New York Journal writer, having overheard Mays blurt "'Say who,' 'Say what,' 'Say where,' 'Say hey,'" proceeded to refer to Mays as the 'Say Hey Kid'. The New York Journal American was a Newspaper published from 1937 to 1966 [23]

The other story is that Jimmy Cannon created the nickname because, when Mays arrived in the majors, he did not know everyone's name. "You see a guy, you say, 'Hey, man. Say hey, man,' " Mays said. "Ted was the 'Splinter'. Joe was 'Joltin' Joe'. Stan was 'The Man'. I guess I hit a few home runs, and they said there goes the 'Say Hey Kid. '"[24]

While known as "The Say Hey Kid" to the public, Mays's nickname to friends, close acquaintances and teammates is "Buck. "[25]

Willie Mays in popular culture

Because of his prodigious abilities and popularity, even beyond the New York and San Francisco area, Mays has been a popular topic in popular culture. Some examples include:

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ [1] [2]
  2. ^ Albuquerque Journal Online
  3. ^ Salon Brilliant Careers | Willie Mays
  4. ^ ESPN.com: Mays brought joy to baseball
  5. ^ Willie Mays, by Arnold Hano, Tempo Books, Grosset & Dunlop, Inc. The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area. In Major League Baseball, the 500 Home Run Club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 500 or more career Home runs The first member of the Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. Listed below are the Major League Baseball players who have hit 30 or more Home runs before the All-Star Game break Below is the list of 254 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2000 hit milestone during their career in MLB Below is the list of 155 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 400 doubles milestone Below is the list of 158 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 100 Triples milestone Below is the list of 300 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 Runs milestone Below is the list of 257 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 RBI milestone In Major League Baseball, the 3000 Hit Club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have made 3000 or more career base hits. In Major League Baseball, the 300-300 club is a grouping of players who have hit at least 300 Home runs and collected at least 300 Stolen bases in their The 30-30 club is a grouping of Major League Baseball players who have reached the 30 Home run and 30 Stolen base plateaus in the same season The 3000-300 club is an informal name for the list of Major League Baseball players who have achieved 3000 hits and 300 Home runs. In Major League Baseball, the 3000/500 Club is an informal term applied to the small group of players who have collected 3000 or more career hits and 500 or more In Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more Home runs in a single season The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each of the American League and the National League who has the highest Batting average Major League Baseball recognizes home run champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season See also List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases Major League Baseball recognizes Stolen base champions in the American League Major League Baseball recognizes triples champions in the American League and National League each season Listed below are the 15 Major League Baseball players who have hit four Home runs in a single game Listed below are the occurrences of Major League Baseball players who have hit three Home runs in a single game At the end of each Major League Baseball season the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced NY. copyright 1966, pp. 60-75 first printing, August 1966, Library of Congress Number 66-17205
  6. ^ The Series, an illustrated history of Baseball's postseason showcase, 1903-1993, The Sporting News, copyright 1993, The Sporting News Publishing Co. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports pp. 144-145 ISBN 0-89204-476-4
  7. ^ Willie Mays, by Matt von Albade, Tempo Books, Grosset & Dunlop, Inc. NY. copyright 1966, p. 80 first printing, August 1966, Library of Congress Number 66-17205
  8. ^ BIOPROJ.SABR.ORG :: The Baseball Biography Project
  9. ^ Mary Kay Linge, Willie Mays: A Biography (Greenwood Press, 2005), p. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress 151.
  10. ^ The Baseball Page
  11. ^ July 2, 1963 Milwaukee Braves at San Francisco Giants Box Score and Play by Play - Baseball-Reference.com
  12. ^ The majesty of Mays
  13. ^ Letting Off Steam - confrontations between players, fans and umpires | Baseball Digest | Find Articles at BNET.com
  14. ^ He also finished 6th in the balloting three times.
  15. ^ National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum: The Hall of Famers
  16. ^ Mays Trade (at bottom). Retrieved on 2006-10-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus
  17. ^ Shaun McCormack, Willie Mays (Rosen Publishing Group, 2003).
  18. ^ Willie Mays Statistics. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1071 - Battle of Manzikert: The Seljuk Turks defeat the Byzantine Army at Manzikert.
  19. ^ Mays on the IMDBb. Retrieved on 2006-10-22. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus
  20. ^ [3]
  21. ^ [4].
  22. ^ Mays inducted into California Hall of Fame, California Museum, Accessed 2007
  23. ^ Mays earns his nickname. Retrieved on 2006-10-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.
  24. ^ Article on Mays. Retrieved on 2006-10-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.
  25. ^ eMuseum: Willie Mays. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Retrieved on 9 Mar 2007. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

References

External links

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