Mays, Willie

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Willie Mays

1931-

American baseball player

He hit more than 600 home runs. He could reach base almost at will. He had defensive skills that boggled the mind. Willie Mays was one of the finest baseball players to ever step on the baseball field. In a twenty-two-year professional career with the Giants of New York and San Francisco, Mays consistently appeared near or at the top of almost every major statistic. His fantastic play, year in and year out, makes Willie Mays one of the best players baseball has ever known.

Growing Up

Willie Mays was born on May 6, 1931, in Fairfield, Alabama. His father, William Howard, was a steelworker who mined in the all-black town of Fairfield, only thirteen miles from Birmingham. His parents, gifted athletes in their own right, were only sixteen at the time of his birth. Willie's father played center field for the Birmingham Industrial League Semi Pro team, while his mother Anna had been a high school track star. Willie stood to inherit quite a bit of athletic talent from his bloodlines. Even his grandfather pitched for a Negro League baseball team.

Willie's parents divorced when he was three, and he went to live with his father, who, to care for Willie while he was at work, brought in a homeless woman. Even at the age of three, his father had him playing catch, or placed him in the dugout at the Semi Pro games he played in. By the time Willie Mays was a young man, he'd already had more baseball education than most players receive in a lifetime. Since his high school had no baseball team, Willie was playing in the semi-pro leagues around Birmingham. Even if his school had a team, chances are he wouldn't have been challenged by the high school players.

A Way Out

As with many players who grew up poor, and especially black players in the rural South, Willie Mays knew baseball was his ticket out of poverty, a way out of the steelmill life his father knew. It was also a way out of the blatantly racist and segregated South. As a child, Mays would much rather have been playing ball than studying. Rather than books, he focused his intelligence on the only game that ever consumed him. Since he grew up in dugouts and watching his father play, he studied strategy and technique instead of reading and writing.

His time in the dugouts also taught him how to deal with the competition among men while he was just a boy. At only thirteen, Mays played on the Gray Sox, a semi-professional team. By he time he started high school at fifteen, he would make $250 a month on the Birmingham Black Barons. This seemed ideal for a person born into Mays' situation. The money coming in was more than any part time job would ever pay, and he made it doing what he loved. Mays finished high school, but he finished it as a professional baseball player.

Several Father Figures

A big influence on the young Mays was his Black Barons manager, Piper Davis. Davis, who had spent many years as a player and was now a player/manager, saw that Mays was no mere baseball player. Mays was someone with innate talent, and with tutoring and development, he believed Mays could become something even more special.

Tough Times in the North

By the time Willie Mays was nineteen, Jackie Robinson had already broken the color barrier in baseball. When a scout for New York Giants came to watch a Black Barons game, he didn't go to the field to watch Mays. Instead, it was one of his teammates who was supposed to get the looksee. But after a few minutes in the ballpark, the scout realized there was only one player there. Mays had caught his eye. He was signed for a $4000 bonus, plus $250 a month salary, to play in Sioux City, Iowa, on the Giants' Class A team.

Yet there were racial problems in Sioux City, and Mays wasn't allowed to join the team. Instead, the Giants moved him to Trenton, New Jersey, to play in a Class B Interstate League. Mays would become the first black to ever play in that league. But after only a season in Trenton, he went to the Minneapolis Millers to play Triple A ball. This was 1951, and Mays was but a short step from the majors after his first sixteen games of the season. He was batting .608, with a defense that was nothing short of spectacular. Leo Durocher , who would, like Piper Davis, take Mays under his wing, was the manager of the New York Giants. He called up Mays early in the '51 season. The Giants, rather mediocre that year, needed the help of Mays.

Chronology

1931	Born May 6 in Fairfield, Alabama, the only child of William Howard and Anna Sattlewhite Mays
1934	Moves with his father after parents divorce; remains close to his mother
1937	Begins education in segregated school in Alabama
1944	Plays semiprofessional baseball at age 13 with the Gray Sox
1946	Enters Fairfield Industrial High School, takes courses in dry cleaning
1946	Plays center field for Birmingham Industrial League while his father plays left field
1947	Begins play for Birmingham Black Barons, playing baseball with men ten years his senior
1948	Makes professional Negro Leagues debut on July 4
1950	Graduates from Fairfield High School
1950	New York Giants buy out Mays' Black Barons Contract. He is youngest black man ever signed by the major leagues
1950	Racial bias in Sioux City prevents Mays from joining their minor league team
1950	Puts up impressive numbers with Class B Inter-State League in Trenton, New Jersey, hitting .477 and 8 home runs in 35 games
1951	Becomes #3 batter in Giants' starting lineup on May 25
1952	Drafted by U.S. Army in May. Continues to play baseball
1954	Receives honorable discharge and returns to Giants
1954	Makes spectacular over-the-shoulder no-look catch, known simply as "The Catch"
1954	Makes appearances on Ed Sullivan Show and Colgate Comedy Hour
1955	Bus boycott in Alabama, started by Rosa Parks, gains world's attention
1955	Moves to Englewood, New Jersey
1956	Marries Marguerite Wendell
1957	New York Giants move to San Francisco
1958	Adopts infant son Michael
1963	Divorces Marguerite Wendell
1964	Appointed captain of the Giants
1965	Becomes national spokeperson for the Job Corps
1965	Mays remains silent and uninvolved in Civil Rights struggles, says "I don't picket … I'm not mad at the people who do. Maybe they shouldn't be mad at the people who don't"
1971	Marries Mae Louise Allen
1972	Traded to New York Mets
1973	Retires from Baseball
1973-79	Becomes coach and goodwill ambassador for New York Mets; would become public relations worker and make public appearances on behalf of many companies in 1980s and 1990s
1974	Inducted into the Black Hall of Fame
1979	Only player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year
2000	Honored with "Say Hey Day" at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco
2002	Sees his godson, San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds, make it to the World Series

Willie Mays became the starting center fielder for the Giants on May 25, 1951. But whether it was nerves or something else, Mays could muster only one hit in his first twenty-five at bats. Durocher, however, saw the fire in Mays and knew that patience was necessary. He never lost faith. Though the Giants had a lackluster season, with the help of Mays—who eventually came out of his slump—they finished strong, tying their rivals the Brooklyn Dodgers in the last game of the season and forcing a playoff for the pennant.

This put Mays in a game that would include one of the most famous hits in baseball history. Mays' teammate, Bobby Thompson, came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. The Giants were down, but Thompson hit a three run homer off of Brooklyn Dodger Ralph Branca. The "Shot Heard Round the World" clinched the pennant for the Giants, but they went on to lose to the Yankees in seven games.

In spite of his poor start that year, Mays garnered the National League Rookie of the Year honor for his twenty home runs and .274 batting average. At the conclusion of the season, however, he would be called into the army and serve his two years (primarily as a baseball instructor).

The First Full Season

Mays returned to the Giants in 1954 for his first full season and led his team to a world championship. That season he hit .345, blasted forty-one home runs, and won the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He also led the league in batting average.

During the 1954 World Series, Mays made what is perhaps one of the most famous defensive plays in baseball. "The Catch," as it has come to be known, was a blind, over the shoulder basket pick Mays made while running down a ball heading toward the fence. When it dropped into his glove, the fans were amazed. Willie had robbed the Indians' Vic Wertz of what should have been an extra base hit. Mays' catch held the Indians to only one run that inning, and the Giants re-tied the game, going on to win it in the tenth.

As recently as 2002 Mays would tell the New York Daily News that his famous catch, "Doesn't come close to the one I made in Ebbets Field off the Dodgers' Bobby Morgan the first week of the '52 season." That was a catch where, in the ninth with two outs and the bases loaded, Morgan's line drive over the shortstop found Mays diving, head first, to make the play. He hit the fence, knocked himself out, but still came up with the ball.

His accomplishments on the field could fill volumes. In 1955, Mays hit fifty-one homers, only the seventh person at the time to do so. He led the National League in triples and slugging percentage, and was second in stolen bases. In 1961 he became only the fifth player to hit four home runs in a single game. And then in 1962, led the Giants back into the World Series, the culmination of a stellar season, with 141 runs batted in—his career high.

Willie Mays made twenty-four straight All-Star appearances and had more than 3000 career base hits. His effortless play would be summed up in single word by writers and fans, who called him "graceful" and "elegant." Truly a joy to watch at every part of the game, Mays was perhaps most stunning on the basepaths. Starting in 1956, he led the league in stolen bases four years straight. In addition to this, he averaged forty-five home runs per season for the first half of the sixties. At the end of his career, he would walk away with 660 home runs and 1903 RBIs. Willie Mays was a Renaissance player, the guy who could do it all.

Related Biography: Baseball Coach Piper Davis

Though he would never get a chance to play in the major leagues, Piper Davis teamed with Artie Wilson, who went on to the majors, to form one of the outstanding double-play combinations in Negro League baseball.

Davis became one of the best player/managers in the Negro leagues, both playing and coaching Willie Mays, serving as one of the young Mays' father figures as he made his way to the majors.

During the 1948, 1949, and 1950 seasons, Davis would lead his team, the Birmingham Black Barons, with a .353 batting average. He also led the 1948 Negro National League in RBIs, and his team would go on to win the 1948 Negro League World Series.

In 1951, Davis became the first black signed by the Boston Red Sox, though he would never play in a major league game.

Piper Davis was an outstanding athlete, utilizing his skills not only on the baseball field, but also playing basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Most Determined

Davis and Durocher were prophetic in their claims that there was something more to Mays than met the eye. During his time with the Giants, depending on what the team needed and what Durocher asked of him, Mays was able increase the number of home runs if need be. Yet just as often, "Say Hey"—a nickname he earned because he often forgot his teammates' names—was satisfied reaching base. Once on base, he could drive pitchers nuts with his speed. Regardless of how he chose to hit the ball, he would average .300 for his career, with almost thirty home runs per season.

His greatness came with a small price, however. Though he was blessed with talent, his work ethic was above and beyond that of most ballplayers. Mays continually worked himself to the point of exhaustion—even once collapsing at the plate. Willie Mays simply wanted more than his body could physically give him.

Headed West

Mays married Marghuerite Wendell, in 1956. They had a baby boy, Michael, just two years later. In 1957 the Giants moved to San Francisco. Mays, however, wasn't on top of the world. He was a New York hero, and he loved it in The Big Apple. The move west would be difficult, and it sent bad blood flowing between Mays and the fans. The people in California didn't revere Mays like the folks did back in NYC. Additionally, he was having trouble at home, and his divorce to Marghuerite would become finalized in 1963.

Mays called it quits in 1973 while playing for the New York Mets. He has been called one of the—if not the—greatest baseball players of all time. Though he came from the South and played baseball during the years when Civil Rights fighting was the toughest, Mays remained silent about his feelings throughout his career. He chose to take an apolitical stance, instead putting everything into baseball. Some critics say he should have given more back to the place he came from, but Mays chose to take his anger out on the little "white" ball that he could control, catching it effortlessly as well as hitting harder than most other players.

Asked years later why he never publicly supported the Civil Rights Movement, according to the Encyclopedia of African-American Cuture and History, he said: "I don't picket in the streets of Birmingham. I'm not mad at the people who do. Maybe they shouldn't be mad at the people who don't.

After his retirement Mays said that, "I've given every bit of energy to baseball." In 1979, along with Mickey Mantle , Mays was ordered to cut ties with baseball for doing PR work for an Atlantic City casino. This was the same year he was voted into the hall of fame, and he would be allowed fully and completely back into baseball in 1985, though not without some ill will towards the Commissioner of Baseball.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	AVG	GP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	E
NYG: New York Giants; NYM: New York Mets; SFG: San Francisco Giants.
1951	NYG	.274	121	464	59	127	20	68	57	60	7	9
1952	NYG	.236	34	127	17	30	4	23	16	17	4	1
1954	NYG	.345	151	565	119	195	41	110	66	57	8	7
1955	NYG	.319	152	580	123	185	51	127	79	60	24	8
1956	NYG	.296	152	578	101	171	36	84	68	65	40	9
1957	NYG	.333	152	585	112	195	35	97	76	62	38	9
1958	NYG	.347	152	600	121	208	29	96	78	56	31	9
1959	SFG	.313	151	575	125	180	34	104	65	58	27	6
1960	SFG	.319	153	595	107	190	29	103	61	70	25	8
1961	SFG	.308	154	572	129	176	40	123	81	77	18	8
1962	SFG	.304	162	621	130	189	49	141	78	85	18	4
1963	SFG	.314	157	596	115	187	38	103	66	83	8	8
1964	SFG	.296	157	578	121	171	47	111	82	72	19	6
1965	SFG	.317	157	558	118	177	52	112	76	71	9	6
1966	SFG	.288	152	552	99	159	37	103	70	81	5	7
1967	SFG	.263	141	486	83	128	22	70	51	92	6	7
1968	SFG	.289	148	498	84	144	23	79	67	81	12	7
1969	SFG	.283	117	403	64	114	13	58	49	71	6	5
1970	SFG	.291	139	478	94	139	28	83	79	90	5	7
1971	SFG	.271	136	417	82	113	18	61	112	123	23	6
1972	SFG	.184	19	49	8	9	0	3	17	5	3	0
	NYM	.267	69	195	27	52	8	19	43	43	1	4
1973	NYM	.211	66	209	24	44	6	25	27	47	1	4
TOTAL		.302	2992	10881	2062	3283	660	1903	1464	1526	338	156

In his long career, Mays hit more than 600 home runs, tore up the basepaths with his speed, and robbed batters of sure hits with his phenomenal defense in the outfield. Willie Mays was one of the finest baseball players to ever step on the baseball field.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Say Hey Inc., 51 Mount Vernon Lane, Atherton, CA 94206.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY MAYS:

(With Jeff Harris) Danger in Center Field, Argonaut Books, 1963.

(With Howard Liss) My Secrets of Playing Baseball (illustrated by David Sutton), Viking, 1967.

(As told to Charles Einstein) Willie Mays: My Life In and Out of Baseball, Bookthrift Co., 1978.

(With Maxine Berger) Play Ball, Wanderer Books, 1980.

(With Lou Sahadi) Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays, Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Awards and Accomplishments

1951	National League Rookie of the Year
1954	Sporting News Major League Player of the Year
1954	Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
1954	Hickock Belt
1954, 1965	National League Most Valuable Player
1954-73	National League All-Star Team
1957-68	National League Gold Glove Award
1963, 1968	All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
1970	Sporting News Baseball Player of the Decade
1970	First Commissioner's Award
1973	Inducted into California Sports Hall of Fame
1975	Inducted into Black Athletes Hall of Fame
1979	Inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame
1979	Inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
1999	MLB All-Century Team
1999	Uniform #24 retired by San Francisco Giants

Where Is He Now?

Mays continues to remain heavily involved in the world of baseball, and he remains in the spotlight. In the 2002 World Series, Mays received quite a bit of press. His godson, Giants slugger Barry Bonds—who is often compared to Mays—had a phenomenal Series, even though his team would eventually lose to the Angels.

Mays rarely gives interviews, but during the series the pride he felt for his godson was evident. Still, reporters could not get him to answer the question: "Who is the greatest, you or Barry?" Mays only answered, "We are not going to get into the greatest."

He has also served as a lecturer for the Federal Job Corps, done work for the Help Young America campaign, and makes appearances on behalf of several companies he's under contract with.

(With Ron Smith) The Sporting News Selects Baseball's Greatest Players: A Celebration of the 20th Century's Best (Sporting News Series), McGraw Hill, 1998.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. 17 Volumes. Detroit: Gale, 1998.

Grabowski, John F. Willie Mays. New York: Chelsea House, 1990.

Mays, Willie, and Maxine Berger. Play Ball. Wanderer Books, 1980.

Mays, Willie (as told to Charles Einstein). Willie Mays: My Life In and Out of Baseball. Bookthrift Co., 1978.

Mays, Willie, and Jeff Harris. Danger in Center Field. Larchmont, NY: Argonaut Books, 1963.

Mays, Willie, and Howard Liss. My Secrets of Playing Baseball (illustrated by David Sutton). New York: Viking, 1967.

Mays, Willie, and Lou Sahadi. Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Mays, Willie, with Ron Smith. The Sporting News Selects Baseball's Greatest Players: A Celebration of the 20th Century's Best (Sporting News Series). New York: McGraw Hill, 1998.