The Hall of Famer may have been the most formidable hitting-fielding-and-base-stealing threat in the history of the game.
Mays, who broke into the baseball in 1948 with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro League, spent a storied 21 major league seasons with the New York and San Francisco Giants, finishing his career as a New York Met. He remains the only player in the history of the majors to have racked up at least 3,000 hits, a .300 average, 300 home runs, and 300 stolen bases. He ultimately hit 660 homers, placing him in the sixth slot on the all-time list.
477 with the Giants’ Triple-A club, Mays had an inauspicious big-league start, getting only one hit in his first 26 at-bats. In his 2020 book, 24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid, Mays recalled wanting to return to Triple-A, only to be told by Durocher, “Son, you’re my centerfielder. You just go out and catch the ball. We’ll hit for you.” For his part, Durocher called Mays the greatest ballplayer he ever saw.
Obituary In Memoriam Obit Sports Athletes Baseball
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93Willie Mays, baseball’s exuberant and electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93
Read more »
Willie Mays, baseball exuberant and electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93Willie Mays, baseball’s exuberant and electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93. The Giants and Mays' family jointly announced his death. The Giants center fielder, with his signature basket catch, was one of the game’s greatest and most beloved players.
Read more »
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93Willie Mays’ family and the San Francisco Giants jointly announced Tuesday night he had died earlier in the afternoon
Read more »
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93Willie Mays, whose singular combination of talent, drive and exuberance made him one of baseball’s greatest players, has died. He was 93.
Read more »
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93Willie Mays, baseball’s exuberant and electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93.
Read more »
Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93Over 22 seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants, Mays batted .302, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,283 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs...
Read more »