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Willie Mays Photo Gallery
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Tribute to Willie Mays (1931-2024), RIP
“What can I say about Willie Mays after I say he’s the greatest player any of us has ever seen?…If he could cook, I’d marry him!” –Leo Durocher, speaking of Willie Mays
We May Never See His Likeness Again…
The entire baseball world was saddened yesterday to learn of the passing of Willie Mays, age 93, surrounded by family and loved ones. Those of us who cut our baseball teeth in the 1950s and were fortunate enough to see him play at the height of his skills will never forget him, with his signature basket catch forever etched into our minds. Seventy years ago, his over-the-shoulder catch of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series remains one of baseball’s most memorable defensive gems. See footage of “The Catch” here.
The superlatives seem to come easily in any discussion of Willie Mays, arguably the greatest ballplayer of all time. Few in the history of the game have combined the grace, athleticism, intelligence, and accomplishments of Willie Mays. The “Say-Hey Kid” was unique, combining all of baseball’s key offensive and defensive skills into the quintessential five-tool player, with four pennants and a World Series championship on his resume. On top of all that, he combined an infectious glee with a boyish enthusiasm that lifted the spirits of all around him. Cap-flying, wall-crashing, legs churning, Willie Mays is one of the most beloved figures in the game’s history.
WILLIE’S GREAT CAREER
Over his 22 years in the majors (1951-1973), Willie hit .301 with 3,293 hits (12th all-time), 2068 runs (seventh all-time), 1909 RBIs (11th all-time), 660 home runs (fourth all-time), .557 slugging percentage, career .384 on-base percentage, and 338 stolen bases. Willie hit over 35 homers in 10 seasons, 40 homers six times, 50 home runs twice, and won five slugging crowns. He’s among the few players with 300 steals and 500 home runs. His defensive skills won him 12 Gold Gloves (the award wasn’t even started until he was six years into his career).
Willie Mays is one of only five National League players with eight consecutive 100 RBI seasons. In addition, he won four stolen base and three triples titles, six top-three finishes in National League batting races (including the 1954 title), and he played in a whopping 24 All-Star games, tied for the most ever. He won two MVP Awards, the 1951 Rookie of the Year award, and was a two-time All-Star game MVP. His lifetime total of 7,095 outfield putouts remains the major league record.
Willie Howard Mays was so athletically advanced by age 14 that he was competing with the men on his father’s steel mill team. He played semipro ball at age 16 and was on the Birmingham Black Barons by 1947. He was one of the last players – and likely the best – to come from the Negro Leagues.
LEO AND WILLIE
In 1950, the Giants signed him and sent him to the minors. In 1951 he was batting .477 with the Minneapolis Millers when he got the call to go up to the Giants. Leo Durocher, the Giants’ irascible manager, demanded Mays be promoted after the Giants’ 6-20 start in 1951. Probably Durocher’s most lasting contribution to baseball was acting as a mentor and “father-figure” to a frightened and home-sick Willie Mays. I always love to recall the wonderful scene in the Giants’ clubhouse after rookie Willie Mays got off to his disastrous 0-12 start (which eventually extended to 1-26). Giants’ coach Freddie Fitzsimmons saw Willie sitting alone in front of his locker crying. “Leo,” Franks said, “I think you better have a talk with your boy over there.”
Leo went over to Willie and asked him, “What’s the matter, son?” Willie turned to his manager and with tears streaming down his cheeks replied, “I don’t belong up here…I can’t play here…I can’t help you Missa’ Leo. Send me back to the minors.” Leo smiled, patted Willie on the back, and simply said:
“Look son, I brought you up here to do one thing. That’s to play center field. You’re the best center fielder I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around a long time. As long as I’m here, you’re going to play center field. Tomorrow, next week, next month. As long as Leo Durocher is manager of this team you will be on this club because you’re the best ballplayer I’ve ever seen.”
The rest, as they say, is history. On his 13th at-bat, Willie hit a homer over the left-field fence off Warren Spahn who later joked, “I’ll never forgive myself. We might have gotten rid of Willie Mays.”
WAS WILLIE THE GREATEST EVER?
When Willie retired, he held records for games, putouts, and chances for center fielders. His career statistics and longevity in the pre-PED era have led to a growing opinion that Mays was possibly the greatest all-around baseball player in the history of the game. In 1970, the Sporting News named Willie as the 1960s Player of the Decade. In 1999, he placed second on The Sporting News’s List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, behind only Babe Ruth. Willie was a near-unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. His number 24 has been retired by the Giants.
RIP, Willie. We’ve been privileged to have you among us. Those of us old enough to have seen you play are forever grateful. And, no, we may never see your likeness again…
Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: The Walter Iooss, Jr. Collection; “The Greats of the Game”; Baseball Hall of Fame Collection; The George Brace Baseball Photos Collection, The Leslie Jones Collection, Public domain.
Biographical Information: Edited from “The Greats of the Game”; “Cooperstown: Baseball Hall of Fame Collection;” “Nice Guys Finish Last,” by Leo Durocher, and the Willie Mays Wikipedia page. Stats from Baseball-Reference.com
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Say,hey…
https://links.e1.nytimes.com/u/click?_t=1d75fd3a730a463c8648bd84293b832a&_m=f7edee25987147119fd3174a96660e4c&_e=Ry4zLwg9pz-YZi4hyTW0-jkC5rzIr3F5gF4XksJP7nfxdvimz47YhMKrygbB_PxvA10qnf9ukuHJmjEaJA-gpOVUbups_O0EOpRKpKdBKSCg9nGKh8e1kKGzZsStzhSGEUtVLlvuUxOqoqGZMkW0giqiJTkiAvYPQLIZxTTiRF-Rcc1f-mlPt2gAJwPoyKitJz76Oks6e24oY6OtLAut5QOkBrWKueoReJ_5-bPyZ-Ww0zR4SkNYFqi0yvxVsa_PwPWbzyZz57aVa6KyELu7KFYCmGp0sf7I7P-IxRzdFO0%3D
Thanks Paul. I just added a link to the footage into the text. By the way, that’s Jack Brickhouse making the call.
There’s a beautiful two page spread in today’s NY Times
Sports section of Mays’ catch that is unbelievable.
Seeing it blown up like that gives you a different perspective of how much space he had to go. The photo also catches the fans reaction as it was happening, much more than any picture than I remember.
Because of the wide angle, the photo expands to show the clubhouse in deep center with the media cameras atop it . The entire first page is a shot of the clubhouse and the monument out at the 483 foot marker. Breathtaking!
It’s a keepsake along with the expanded coverage of Mays career and passing.
As Casey Stengel would say, Gary, “You done splendid!” Wonderful job in highlighting the truly remarkable career of Willie Mays. 93 is pretty good but we hoped he would live forever.
I was lucky enough to watch Mays from the beginning when he made his debut in late May of 1951. The first thing that impressed me was his play in centerfield. It was a huge feeling of security for Giants fans knowing Willie would catch almost everything that didn’t leave the ballpark.
Bobby Thomson covered ground in center but never caught a ball over-his-head-back-to-the-plate. Never. Mays seldom missed one. However, his famous catch in the ’54 Series was eclipsed on opening day at Ebbets Field in 1952.
Sitting in the leftfield upper deck at Ebbets with my dad and Donn Williams (best friend and intense Dodgers fan), we saw Mays rob Bobby Morgan with a catch that nearly defies description. At a TV commercial shoot 30 year later, I asked Willie about the play. He told me to review the catch and then admitted it was his greatest of all time. Far better than the one involving Vic Wertz.
Gary was right about Mays’ boyish enthusiasm. He immediately
became an uplifting force despite his initial 0-12 against the Phillies. The Say Hey Kid was hitting some shots that found gloves and his bat speed was startling. Vivid memory: Mays lashed out and belted the hardest two-hopper I ever saw, which drove SS Granny Hamner back on the outfield grass. He threw Mays out, but you knew it was only a matter of time before this 20-year-old exploded all over the National League.
And he would have been the first to break Babe Ruth’s homerun record had it not been for his stint in the Army (’52-’53).
Great point, Gary, about Durocher taking his protege under his wing with a loving vote of confidence. That was really a turning point. Remember, though, Leo was only “irascible” with umpires.
Super pictures. And you can see Mays was all muscle. In fact, in an early physical exam the doctor could not perform one test on this superb athlete. It involved pinching a small amount of fat from his back, with a vernier caliper instrument. Mays had no fat!
Thanks for a marvelous tribute!
Thanks a lot Bill for the kind words. And thanks for the great personal reminiscences and observations, as usual!
Not much more can be said about Willie Mays – except this: in the 13 years from 1954-1966, he played in over 150 games each season. And he claimed that playing in windy Candlestick Park cost him 100 home runs.
Vince,
After 1960 Candlestick became a pretty much neutral homer park. They moved the fence in 30 feet in left and adjusted the starting time for games to reduce the wind factor. The wind also greatly helped drives to right field.
From ’61 moving forward Mays hit more homeruns at Candlestick than he did on the road. His 100-homer loss number goes beyond hyperbole I’m afraid.
The Wertz catch is the best of all time in my opinion, at least in an important game like the World Series. Mays skills would transfer to today’s game in my opinion. Best all round player of all time in my opinion.
Right, Steve, the importance of the World Series is a factor (and it was his quick throw back to the infield that most likely saved a run) — a truly great catch.
But for sheer “How did he do that !!?” the Bobby Morgan catch, ’52 at Ebbets Field, was “the berries” as they say. I was lucky to see it in person. Plus, Mays told me it was his best ever.
Agree he was the greatest of all time !!
Also agree with you…greatest of all time.
Wonderful article. I loved all the photos! What a great ball player and such a fine man.
Thanks Steve