An energetic tribute to baseball icon willie mays dazzles with irresistible enthusiasm read more. He hit 660 home runs, collected 3,283 hits, stole 338 bases, earned 12 gold gloves and played in 24 allstar games. He had a son with dolores named billy mays iii, who was 22 years old at the time of mays death and. Willie mays was the prototype for the ballplayer who could hurt you with the longball bat or his speed on the base paths. Hirsch portrays mays as brilliant at his craft, even if he wasnt. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Willie mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game.
On the first page, former new york times and wall street journal reporter hirsch cheating destiny. Get scores, news and notes in your inbox every day. While i struggled and wrote a story a day, plus an extra for sunday, willie howard mays, jr. Mays sits in 10th place on the alltime career hits list, 973 behind the leader, pete rose. Willie mays one of the greatest players in the game. Willie mays retired with 3,283 hits, 2,062 runs scored, 1,903 rbi, 338 stolen bases, 660 home runs and career. Sports comics from famous funnies, focusing on the career of baseball legend willie mays. Mays finds fame through a combination of amazing sports skills and a memorable catchphrase, the say hey kid. Life lessons and stories from the say hey kid, shares stories about the hall of famers life that he hopes can be used as a learning tool in classrooms. Mays finished off his 22year career with 3,283 hits.
No one in major league baseball could approach mays in that combination of athletic skills until he was joined on the san francisco giants by a. The baseball was previously displayed in ray lloyds. The baseball life of willie mays by lee greene and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Willie mays reads the san francisco chronicle at a seals stadium photo shoot in the year the outfielder made his debut as a san francisco giant. When the yankees were not ready for willie mays the new. Mays hit over 50 home runs in 1955 and 1965, representing the longest time span between 50plus home run seasons for any.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. I interviewed willie mays in 1984 and found him very introspective on the aspects of his 22year career that endeared him to the fans, including his catch off vic wertz in the 1954 world series. Home cards sport baseball cards modern 1981 1989 1984 renata galasso renata galasso willie mays story. Despite his lack of triplea experience, mays hit, in his first 121 big league games, a respectable. The final 96 hits capped off his career with the new york mets. The catch was a baseball play made by new york giants center fielder willie mays on september 29, 1954, during game 1 of the 1954 world series at the polo grounds in upper manhattan, new york city.
Willie mays quotes archives famous inspirational quotes. You never heard of willie mays jonah winter, terry widener. Willie mays quotes 36 quotes the greatest challenge i think is adjusting to not playing baseball. The reason for that is i had to come out of baseball and come into the business world, not being a college graduate, not being educated to come into the business world the way i should have. Willie mays, in full willie howard mays, byname the say hey kid, born may 6, 1931, westfield, alabama, u. Willie mays every game played with complete stats, links to box scores and automated row summing for 1965. He could hit, he could run, he could catch, he could throw. Jul 11, 2015 during his playing career, a baseball players every action on the field is documentedevery at bat, every hit, every pitch. Many believe baseball great willie mays to be the best player that ever lived. Profiles of other baseball greats, including mel ott and christy mathewson. You never heard of willie mays by jonah winter, terry. Willie mays breaks national league home run record history. Power hitting willie mays waited in the ondeck circle when bobby thomson hit the shot heard round the world, perhaps influencing the pitching choices of ralph branca during that legendary playoff game.
Immediately download the willie mays summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for studying or teaching willie mays. In the months leading to his acquisition by the new york giants on june 20, 1950, the yankees received numerous tips about mays, then a teenager who was. You never heard of willie mays by jonah winter and terry widener. Willie mays willie mays 1931 is one of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. Now fully revised with new illustrations and diagrams, the classicand still the greatestbook on hitting from the last baseball player to break the magic. The baseball was previously displayed in ray lloyds wcws glacier personal and extensive collection. At 80 years old, mays still a legend, with impact strong. Between the new york giants and the franchises move to san francisco, mays recorded 3,187 hits as a giant. May 27, 20 despite his lack of triplea experience, mays hit, in his first 121 big league games, a respectable.
Never heard of willie mays you never heard of and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. An energetic tribute to baseball icon willie mays dazzles with irresistible enthusiasm. By all accounts, though, willie didnt need too many pointershe was a natural. Hirsch portrays mays as brilliant at his craft, even if he wasnt always the friendly guy people expected him to be. Willie mays, forever the youthful say hey kid, was a majorleague center fielder for 22 seasons with the new york giants, san francisco giants and new york mets and played for the birmingham black barons in the negro leagues. He hit 660 home runs fourth best of all time, had a lifetime batting average of. Category sportsbaseball publication date february 09, 2010 the catch was made by willie mays in the 1954 world series, and there is no other the catch in any other sport, that includes football. Chasing willie mays and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Total zone rating and initial framework for wins above replacement calculations provided by sean smith. This is an autobiography long overdue and eminently readable. Living with diabetes, americas biggest epidemic, 2006, etc. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options.
The baseball life of willie mays by lee greene abebooks. Willie mays is a retired major league baseball player who began his career with the new york giants and moved with the franchise to san francisco before returning to new york to end his career. Willie mays has often been described as the finest allaround baseball player ever to pick up a bat. Mays founded and directs the say hey foundation, a fund for the education of youngsters. Mays biographer arnold hano, sitting in the right field bleachers, later wrote that the ball was hit about as hard as i have. Willie mays, san francisco giants this guy was the peyton manning of baseball. The life, the legend and millions of other books are available for instant access. Mar 04, 2020 the 1970 topps baseball card design is kind of bland with its allgray borders and rather subtle team, player name and position information along the outside borders. On may 4, 1965, san francisco giants outfielder willie mays hits his 512th career home run to break mel otts national league record for home runs. The life, the legend, the first authorized biography of the hall of fame baseball player.
Willie mays new book details desire to convey life. Greatest african american player of alltime hitting one of 660 carrer homrunshe would hit. Willie mays has 14 books on goodreads with 560 ratings. Willie mays who turned 80 on may 6 transcended the traditional five tools. During the eighth inning with the score tied 22, cleveland indians batter vic wertz hit a deep fly ball to center field that was poised to score the runners on base. Only his excellence at hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing exceeded his love for the game.
Nov 08, 2012 while i struggled and wrote a story a day, plus an extra for sunday, willie howard mays, jr. And he brought to the playing of baseball a mysterious, almost magical quality that has. During his playing career, a baseball players every action on the field is documentedevery at bat, every hit, every pitch. The life, the legend may follow a straightforward biographic route, but thats the kind of player and man he was, so it seems quite fitting that there is little in the way of theatrics in the telling. Charles einstein, another great baseball writer, wrote two books about willie mays.
If youre going to hit the ball, its a base hit or somebodys going to catch it. Mays was drafted into the army and didnt return to the game until 1954. He began as a teenager in the negro leagues, became a cult hero in new york, and was the headliner in major league baseballs bold expansion to california. But what becomes of a player after he leaves the game. Thomsons famous 3run homer, hit while willie, a 20 year old rookie in 1951, was. The next hitter, al rosen, batting cleanup, hit a ground ball. His career was put on hold, however, 34 games into the 1952 season. But prior to wednesdays game, as scherzer stomped through the clubhouse on his way to some part of his pregame ritual, his manager stopped him. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Nonetheless, the willie mays card in this set still has great eye appeal. Win expectancy, run expectancy, and leverage index calculations provided by tom tango of, and coauthor of the book. Jun 01, 2017 but prior to wednesdays game, as scherzer stomped through the clubhouse on his way to some part of his pregame ritual, his manager stopped him and introduced him to willie mays, for whom he. Mays first marriage was to dolores dee dee mays, which ended in divorce.
Get the latest updated stats for new york mets willie mays on. In 1954, the year willie mays made his epic game 1 catch at the polo grounds in new york, the most. Allstar game records, allstar game record book, most games played, aaron, mays, musial, 24. In the months leading to his acquisition by the new york giants on june 20, 1950, the yankees received numerous tips about mays, then a. A memoir 1979 stood out as the only one of those books to rank as firstrate. Willie mays, 1965 a bay area transplant who made his way to san francisco alongside new york giants, mays won his second mvp award in blasting 52 home runs, including the of his illustrious career. Willie mays every game played with complete stats, links to box scores and automated row. Arnold hano, one of the great baseball writers, chose to write about mays, and not mantle. Mays played in major league baseball very soon after the colour bar ended, and he probably never received the respect due him based upon his skills. Definition of hit the books in the idioms dictionary. Former cubs coach joey amalfitano feared for several decades that the bat willie mays used to hit four home runs in a game was somewhere. Its also available for football, basketball and hockey.