Willie Mays

Willie Howard Mays
Nickname: Say Hey
Born: May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Ala.
Debut: 1951| Pos: OF
Ht: 5'11" | Wt: 180 | B: R | T: R

Yrs	G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	BA
22	2,992	10,881	2,062	3,283	660	1,903	338	.302

>> Visit the Willie Mays biography on Baseball Almanac for complete statistics.

Willie Mays was only 16 years old when he entered the world of professional baseball in 1947 with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons.

That season, Jackie Robinson would break baseball's color barrier and open the door for Mays and every other player who had been denied a shot at Major League Baseball because of skin color. Within 4 years, he would be on his way to establishing himself as one of the greatest players in the games.

Mays has been described by writers as a player who approached every game like he was trying to make the team.

It was 1950 when the New York Giants sent scout Eddie Montague to spring training in Birmingham to take a look at the Baron's first baseman Alonzo Perry. It wasn't Perry that caught his eye -- it was Willie Mays.

Montague dispatched his scouting report to New York and it included the description, "The greatest ball player I had ever seen in my life." The Giants immediately starting to try to find a way to get Mays into their fold.

The Giants weren't the first team to covet Mays. The Braves had been working for near a year and a half, but they had reached an impasse in their discussions with the Barons. The Giants were willing to pay the fee -- $15,000. The Barons kept $10,000 of that as their fee for providing them with the talented player.

Among the Giants

The Giants sent him to Trenton, New Jersey, to join New York's Class B team. In 81 games, he hit an impressive .353, but showed only a little power -- 4 home runs. However, he quickly earned a reputation for his line drive hitting style and his throws from centerfield.

In 1951, he took a huge jump and joined the Giants AAA affiliate, the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. After 35 games, he was hitting .477 and the Giants sent scout Hank DeBery to see if his hitting was for real. The first word in his report on Mays was "sensational."

New York had been favored to contend for the National League Championship, but the team had suffered through some hard times early on and had been the victim of an 11-game losing streak. The team was hoping to beef up its offense and called up Mays in May. The Giants owner even published a newspaper ad in Minneapolis to apologize for taking Mays away from the Millers.

In the Majors

He joined the team on a road trip to Philadelphia but was just 1-for-26 after his first 7 games. Leo Durocher pulled Mays aside and told him that as long as he was the manager, Mays was his starting centerfielder. His first hit in the majors was a home run came off Warren Spahn at the Polo Grounds. By the end of May, he was hitting .300.

In mid-August, the Giants trialed Brooklyn by 13.5 games and made an incredible comeback that included the famous home run from Bobby Thompson. On August 15, Mays made an impressive defensive play. In a game against the Dodgers with a game tied in the 8th inning, Mays caught a shot from Carl Furillo whirled around and threw a 300-foot perfect threw to get Billy Cox out at the plate. Mays finished the season with a .274 average, 20 home runs and 68 RBIs and was named Rookie of the Year.

His career was put on hold, however, 34 games into the 1952 season. Mays was drafted into the Army and didn't return to the game until 1954. He didn't lose his touch, hitting 41 home runs in his first season back. He hit .345 to win the batting title and he was named NL MVP.

The Giants swept the 1954 World Series and Mays added to his status with an impressive catch in Game 1. Vic Wertz hit a ball that traveled some 460 feet and Mays caught the ball over his shoulder with his back to the plate.

In 1955, he was even more impressive, hitting 51 home runs and striking out just 60 times. That season, he became the National League's first 30-30 (HR-SB) player.

Farewell New York

In 1957, the Giants made the move to San Francisco and the "Say Hey" Kid quickly adapted to Seals Stadium, the temporary home of the Giants. He hit .347 in 1958 and in 1959, he drove in 100 RBIs for the first of 8 consecutive seasons. San Francisco fans, however, weren't as wooed by Mays as those in New York had been. Mays shared the limelight with stars such as Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey.

From 1961 to 1965, he averaged 45 home runs a season. One of his best games undoubtedly came on April 30, 1961 against the Milwaukee Braves when he hit 4 home runs in a game.

In 1962, he led the league with 49 home runs, in 1964, he hit 47 and in 1965 he was named MVP after he hit 52 home runs. Mays became just the fifth player in MLB history to have 2 seasons of 50 or more home runs. In 1966, he hit 37 home runs and, by the end of the season, he was second behind Babe Ruth with 542 home runs.

Following the 1966 season, Mays production began to tail off and, over the next 7 years, his best season was 28 home runs. He was an extremely durable player, playing in 150 or more games in every season from 1954 to 1966.

In May 1972, Mays returned to New York when the Giants traded him to the Mets. The fans gave him a huge welcome home when he hit a home run in his first game at Shea Stadium in a Mets uniform. In his last season in the majors, he hit .211 with 6 home runs. His last home run, and No. 660, came off Don Gullett of the Reds on August 17, 1973.

Continuing Legacy

Some issues after his career may have tarnished his legacy a bit. Fans, however, who saw him play were left with images of his impressive home runs, his basket catches in the outfield and his hat flying off as he ran down a ball.

Mays finished his career with 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. His totals include 17 seasons of 20 or more home runs. The Golden Globe was instituted in 1957 and Mays won 12 in a row for his outfield play.

The impressive numbers earned him a spot in Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1979.

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