Willie Mays turns 90 today

[SomeCallMeTim]

How many of those led to winning the World Series. Oh, yeah. Absolutely none of them.

Except the very first year you listed.

You need to brush up on your Willie Mays history. His “catch” was in game 1 of the 1954 WS against the Indians at the Polo Grounds.

[Ron Madden]

I know I saw him twice that I know for sure: the final game at Crosley Field in 1970 and in the 1972 All Star game at Riverfront.

I saw Willie play in person at least once a year every season from around '64 to '73. My best friend and his father were huge Willie Mays fans. They always invited me to go to the ballpark with them. Great Memories!

[RFS62]

Mays would be the career home run leader had the Giants not moved to San Francisco. Even in the Polo Grounds.

[westofyou]

In 1954 the New York Giants, lead by Willie Mays MVP season, won the World Series, 4 games to zero, over the Indians.
Anyway, by that reasoning Ty Cobb and Ted Williams really sucked, as none of their supposed great seasons came on a World Series champion.

Just yesterday

"I think it's ridiculous that some sportswriters criticize him because he has not won a championship," Robertson said. "Players don't win championships by themselves. You've got to have good management. You need to get with the right group of players."

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/o...by-themselves/

[JaxRed]

It's my working assumption that Mays is the greatest ever. Williams might have been a better hitter, but Willie had him on all around game.

[westofyou]

1950 Scouting report Mays

Attachment 17227



1955 Mays scouting report (Branch Rickey)

https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/base...t-willie-mays/


“At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports”

-- Willie Mays


There have been only two geniuses in the world. Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare. But, darling, I think you'd better put Shakespeare first."

- Actress Tallulah Bankhead (1962)

[elrojo]

Exactly. He had all five tools and excelled in each. The fact that 23--count' em 23-- writers did not vote for
him to get into the HOF remains the greatest stain on that institution.

[CySeymour]

How many of those led to winning the World Series. Oh, yeah. Absolutely none of them.

And that’s Mays’ fault how?

[westofyou]

And that’s Mays’ fault how?

https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/20...e-sept-29-1954

[JaxRed]

And that’s Mays’ fault how?

He made several outs each of those years.

[elrojo]

This is my favorite Mays photo

I once asked a friend to name the greatest baseball player. He answered Babe Ruth. I said what about Willie Mays,
and he replied: "Well, Willie Mays was the best but Babe Ruth was the greatest." I'll buy that.

[adkindo]

How many here think he is the greatest ever?
For the record I don't think so.

I have always thought Bonds was the best during my life.....but I have always been led to believe by older guys that Mays was the most naturally gifted player to play MLB. For the record, I will always believe that Ken Griffey Jr. was on track to challenge that theory before the injuries.

[backbencher]

I have always thought Bonds was the best during my life.....but I have always been led to believe by older guys that Mays was the most naturally gifted player to play MLB. For the record, I will always believe that Ken Griffey Jr. was on track to challenge that theory before the injuries.

Through a friend, I had dinner with George Will in 1990 right after he finished Men at Work (for those who do not know it, probably the biggest baseball book of the 90s, describing the greatness of LaRussa, Hershiser, Gwynn, Ripken). During interviews around the league, he asked everyone whom they thought was the best ever. Will told me that the most common response was, "You mean other than Willie Mays?".

Mays' position was not a question, at all.

Only player better was '86-'87 Eric Davis.

[Tony Cloninger]

How many of those led to winning the World Series. Oh, yeah. Absolutely none of them.

And that’s his fault? 1954 did. The Giants never had the great complete teams the Dodgers had nor their pitching. Even when they had good pitching. Al Kaline and Henry Aaron were average HOF too. Great hot pandemic take.

[westofyou]

I once asked a friend to name the greatest baseball player. He answered Babe Ruth. I said what about Willie Mays,
and he replied: "Well, Willie Mays was the best but Babe Ruth was the greatest." I'll buy that.

Ruth, The Beatles, Chaplin, McDonalds, all bigger than their business models because they helped define what that business model could accomplish.