Willie Mays, Baseball Hall Of Fame Inductee, Dead At 93
Baseball icon Willie Mays has died at 93. Mays' son, Michael, confirmed the news on June 18 in a statement reported by MLB.com. "My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones," he said. "I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life's blood."
Widely considered to be the best baseball player of all time, Mays was one of the most iconic players of the 1950s and 1960s. He hit 660 home runs during his time on the field, won 12 Golden Gloves, was a 24-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. During his rookie year, New York Journal American sportswriter Barney Kremenko nicknamed Mays the "Say Hey Kid," as he could often be heard yelling, "Say hey" during games. This ultimately inspired the song "Say Hey," also known as "the Willie Mays song," by the Treniers. Mays even sang background on the song.
One of Mays' most iconic moments — known as "The Catch" — is considered one of the best defensive plays in baseball history. It happened during the 1954 World Series, when player Vic Wertz hit what looked like a home run. Mays raced down to the edge of the field with his back to the ball, caught it over his shoulder about 460-ft from the plate, swiveled around, and fired it back. Though many believe this to be one of Mays' greatest moments, the truth is his entire career was studded with astonishing feats of athleticism and skill.
Willie Mays' early life
Willie Mays, born William Howard Mays Jr., grew up in Westfield, Alabama with his parents William and Ann. William worked as a steelworker while Ann worked as a stay-at-home mom. Baseball also ran in the family. Both Mays' father and grandfather played the game, and his father played center field for the Birmingham Industrial League semi-pro team. (For those who don't know, a semi-pro league is a professional league that is independent of Major League Baseball.)
Mays' father, who went by the nickname "Cat" in baseball, claimed Mays could walk at 6 months old and learned to play catch as a toddler. When Mays was only 3 years old, his parents divorced. He lived primarily with his father, who continued to teach him all about baseball throughout his childhood.
In essence, Mays grew up on the baseball field. The young player used to sit in the dugout during his father's games and listen to the players talk strategy. At 13 years old, he set off to play with the Gray Sox, a semi-professional team. When he and his father moved to Fairfield, he started playing for the Fairfield Stars in the Birmingham Industrial League, right alongside his father.
Willie Mays' life outside of baseball
In 1956, Willie Mays married Margherite Wendell Chapman and lived with her in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood of San Francisco. He and Chapman adopted a son, Michael, in 1959. However, Mays and Chapman split in 1963 after a tense few years. After some time had passed, Mays met Mae Louise Allen and called her for a date. According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Allen initially had a hard time believing Mays was really on the other end of the line. When he told her who he was over the phone, she replied, "Yes, and I am Martha Washington." Still, the date must have gone well, because the couple got married in 1971.
In 1972, Mays and Allen created the Say Hey Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping underprivileged children via educational opportunities and community support. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported in 2013 that Allen died at 74 years old after a 16-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. Mays was devastated by her loss and never remarried.
Willie Mays' baseball career
While in high school, Willie Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons, a professional Negro League. Upon graduation, he was scouted by a number of highly acclaimed teams, including the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox. However, both the owner and general manager of the Red Sox passed on the opportunity to sign Mays, telling scout George Digby they weren't going to take any Black players. Mays ended up signing with the New York Giants and was sent to the minor leagues.
Mays soon caught the attention of baseball fans everywhere for his incredible defensive abilities as a center fielder, making jaw-dropping leaps and dives to catch the ball. In 1952, however, Mays was called to serve in the army and didn't return to baseball until 1954. When he did return, he came back with force. He led the league in hitting and had 41 home runs under his belt. In 1966, the Giants awarded him a new contract with the highest salary of any baseball player at the time.
Mays played a grand total of 21 seasons with the Giants and ended his career playing for the Mets from 1972 to 1973. He was named the MVP twice in the major league. In 2015, Mays was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama. In addition to close friends and extended family, Mays is survived by his son, Michael.