24 All-Star Game appearances. 12 Gold Gloves. Two MVP Awards. A batting title. 660 home runs. 3,292 hits. 339 stolen bases.
These are just some of the accomplishments of the incomparable Willie Mays, long considered one of the greatest baseball players to have ever lived. Across 23 years as a professional between the Black Barons, Giants – New York and San Francisco – and Mets, Mays defined the game for a generation with his spectacular play, exciting fans and inspiring future big leaguers for years to come. Though I can’t claim to have seen Mays play live on television or at the ballpark, nearly everyone who has was electrified by his complete skillset of power, speed, fielding, and pure showmanship. To me, Mays is practically synonymous with baseball.
Tragically, Mays died on Tuesday, June 18th, at the age of 93. “My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” his son Michael Mays said in a statement released by the Giants. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.” It is an immeasurable loss for the game of baseball given all the love for him and the passion he brought to the game even years after he retired.
However you want to measure, Mays is a statistical marvel. Beyond the basic counting stats, he holds a .301/.384/.557 slash line, good for a 154 wRC+ for his career. Those numbers would be MVP-worthy in an individual season, yet he held that across 3,005 games and 12,541 plate appearances. At an unfathomable 149.8 career FanGraphs WAR, he ranks third all-time, behind only his godson Barry Bonds and Babe Ruth. With his mix of stolen bases and home runs, few players have had the combination of power and speed he possessed. Such skills also sparked many a discussion over whether he or his rival New York outfielder, Mickey Mantle, was the greatest to man center field.
Whatever the case, those skills got him voted into the Hall of Fame in 1979, but he was continually honored far beyond that point. 2017 saw his name etched into the fabric of baseball by renaming the World Series MVP Award for him, a commemoration of his memorable performance in the 1954 World Series. President Barack Obama forever imprinted Mays not just in baseball history, but American history in 2015 by bestowing upon him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
Of course, Mays is known on the field for one thing above all else – The Catch. The crowning achievement of his World Series contributions when the Giants won it all against the Cleveland Indians. In nearly any other ballpark, the ball struck by Vic Wertz would have left the yard with ease. Polo Grounds, however, left enough room for Mays to run at top speed from shallow center field and catch the ball over his shoulder after it traveled an estimated 425 feet. Perhaps even more impressive was the throw, a quick turnaround sniper shot from Mays that somehow managed to keep Larry Doby from tagging up further than third base despite the field’s lengthy dimensions.
Broadcasting legend Jack Brickhouse was in awe while calling the game for NBC with Russ Hodges. His call reflects his utter amazement.
“There’s a long drive… way back at center field… way back, back, it is a… Oh my! Caught by Mays! The runner on second, Doby, is able to go to third. Willie Mays just brought this crowd to its feet with a catch which must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people! Boy… Notice where that 483 foot mark is in center field? The ball itself—Russ, you know this ballpark better than anyone else I know—had to go about 460, didn’t it?”
– Jack Brickhouse, during NBC broadcast of the 1954 World Series
Perhaps the most good Mays ever did, however, was for the people around him. The best way to describe him is as “your favorite player’s favorite player,” owing to his showcase of what it meant to be a true superstar. He was the kind of player that inspired others to become ballplayers like him. While plenty of big leaguers have reverence for the Say Hey Kid, none have quite the connection to him as Bonds did. His description of his relationship with his Godfather says everything you need to know about Mays’s character.
What makes Mays a name synonymous with baseball, for me, is that mix of statistical brilliance and unyielding relevance in the context of the game. So many people on and off the field were inspired watching him run down balls in the outfield, swat majestic homers, and deliver showstopping moments. He is what I think of first when I think of a superstar. A true five-tool player, but with the flair for the dramatics and a love of the game that reminds you why baseball is the greatest sport there is. I can’t imagine a world where Mays didn’t exist because he is a rare player who is so fundamentally ingrained into the fabric of the sport and is so vital to telling the larger story of baseball.
But again, I never saw him play live at the height of his powers nor am I a baseball player who has been inspired by the greatness of Mays. I would rather leave the rest of this article dedicated to the words of those who fit those criteria. Here are just some of the tributes paid by those who knew, loved, or were influenced by Mays.
“It was a rite of passage to practice his basket catches, daring steals, and command at the plate – only to be told by coaches to cut it out because no one can do what Willie Mays could do.”
-President Joe Biden
With the game being played at Rickwood Field today, everyone around baseball is taking the opportunity to not only celebrate the Negro Leagues, but honor Mays once more. The crowd for the game, when given the chance to get loud, erupted in chants for the late great baseball legend. Even now, everybody who knows this game knows what Mays meant to it. A representative, a superstar, a character, an inspiration. Willie Mays was baseball at its best. Rest in peace. I send my deepest condolences to the Mays family and all of his loved ones.
Bunting For Power 