Mays accounted for at least 7.0 bWAR in each of those 13 seasons from 1954-66, the longest such streak in big league history. Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. Willie Mays was born on Wednesday, May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama. Willie Mays hit 660 home runs during his career, 335 while playing at home, 325 while on the road. Willie Aikens Stats. var pfHeaderImgUrl = '';var pfHeaderTagline = '';var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfImageDisplayStyle = 'right';var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = 'https://www.baseball-almanac.com/css/print.css';var pfBtVersion='2';(function(){var js,pf;pf=document.createElement('script');pf.type='text/javascript';pf.src='//cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(pf)})(); An inning-by-inning breakdown of every home run hit by Willie Mays: 1st inning (123), Cumulative monthly totals are provided where applicable. Retrieved March 27, 2013. The umpire wont hear any of it, gathering himself onto his feet, large and crow-shouldered as Mays remains floored in the cloud of dust around home plate. us, High School: Fairfield Industrial HS (Fairfield, AL), Debut: "I don't make history. 24 amazing Willie Mays stats and facts. Visit his page for comprehensive Willie Mays 1971 Game by Game Batting Logs. But that didn't even bother him. Before Willie Mays, the typical baseball scout's report on a talented black player would mention the player's color first, his ability second. Notes: The Date / Box field has a link to the box score from the game being described. 5th inning (53), copyright=new Date(); We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. #DeDollarization #USDollar #Dollar #GeoPolitics Now get regular updates on , "Do you have a favorite quote from or about this particular Major League Baseball player that you would like to see here? I wished I could just strike that year-and-a-half from the back of his baseball card, wipe clean the final row of his stat sheet, as if such a small blemish could undermine the Say Hey Kids resplendent tapestry of a career. He is one of just 30 players all-time to hit at least 50 homers in a single season and he's one of 86 players to rack up at least 20 triples in a season. Their coverage of baseball has no rival and they are simply the most respected source of baseball statistics anywhere. Mays was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 25 1951 with the . Mays not only took home 12 Gold Glove Awards (the most by any center fielder), but he is also responsible for "The Catch" -- an iconic over-the-shoulder grab in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series that is universally considered one of the greatest defensive plays in MLB history. Ed Kolenovsky/AP. Over 66 games, Mays batted .211 with .646 OPS. If you have any Willie Mays baseball cards (produced between 1951 and 1973) to sell or any items on our baseball buy list, PLEASE CONTACT Mark Rubin at 914-725-2225 or via email at [email protected]. 1973. var pfHeaderImgUrl = '';var pfHeaderTagline = '';var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfImageDisplayStyle = 'right';var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = 'https://www.baseball-almanac.com/css/print.css';var pfBtVersion='2';(function(){var js,pf;pf=document.createElement('script');pf.type='text/javascript';pf.src='//cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(pf)})(); The League Championship Series determines who wins the league pennant and advances to the World Series. Copyright 1999- Willie Mays: New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-1952, 1954-1972), New York Mets (1972-1973) Position. Willie Mays had 660 home runs over his career. 13) League leader in everything?While some players consistently lead the league in a certain category -- whether it be home runs or stolen bases or triples -- it was nearly impossible to predict which stat Mays would ultimately lead his league in for a given season. See coverage note. Sound off on our baseball message boards. It was actually Bud Harrelson who was nabbed trying to score on a fly out to left in the 10th. That ranks fifth all time, behind only Jimmie Foxx, Barry Bonds, Stan Musial and Henry Aaron. 24. View More Videos. His .407 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage that season are the highest among any of the four players in this exclusive group. Willie Mays, born on May 6, 1931, was a professional baseball player, team captain, and instructor. The photograph became the poster image of his final year: a hero leveled, half-buried in the ruins of his career, helpless and begging. Copyright 1999- Birth Country: United States. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Last-Modified: August 29, 2022 10:43 AM EST. Why couldnt he have just recognized the signs of decline and bowed out gratefully? When Mays stepped off the field on September 29, 1957, he became the last NEW YORK Giant to wear #24 in a regular season game, and when he stepped back onto the field the following year, on April 15, 1958, he became the first SAN FRANCISCO Giants to wear #24 in a regular season game! Thursday BP: Buster Posey is in favor of the new MLB rule changes. Weekend BP: Ismael Munguia makes a splash in his return, MLB Pipelines top 30 Giants prospects heading into 2023. Should Major League Baseball reduce the number of teams and bring back the pennant winner format? Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. They hit the ball, I catch it. Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1979. Did you know the smallest crowd at a League Championship game was 24,265 and that game was played on October 11, 1973? 8) His star shines brightestMays didn't just play in those All-Star Games -- he quite literally starred in them. ", 2007 - Willie Mays was selected as one-of-three outfielders on the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team. More free time meant more time to do coke. That includes his season and a half with the Mets -- at ages 41 and 42 -- when he hit just 14 homers in 135 games. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 'And I said to myself, 'Wow, he's on top of the world right now, but he's going to fall.'' stats, pitching stats (where applicable), cumulative career totals He tallied 2,068 runs and had 1,909 runs batted in. The Sporting News is nothing short of the most respected and legendary magazine / newspaper in sports history. Willie Mays . As a player, Willie Mays could never be captured by mere statistics." Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. 16) Ranking among the best. "I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw." 2 - Willie Mays won two Most Valuable Player Awards (1954 & 1965), two All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards (1963 & 1968) and was ranked the second greatest player in Major League history by The Sporting News in their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. You can see stats, World Series, awards and more. Stats Awards Fabulous Feats Famous Firsts Hall of Fame Hitting Charts . 12-15-2014, 03:24 PM. He won the admiration of many with his cheerful personality, sportsmanship, and restraint in the face of provocation. He hit 660 home runs. 22) Coming through in the clutchMays often stepped up in big spots, posting a .966 career OPS in high-leverage situations. May 25, 1951 Did you know that Willie Mays played Major League Baseball for twenty-two seasons and was named to twenty-four All-Star Games? His biographical data year-by-year hitting stats fielding stats pitching stats where applicable career totals uniform numbers salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Willie Mays baseball stats page. The tiny failures of the flesh, the prolonged but steady collapse: deaths dominoes. That final year as a . Drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft from Prospect HS (Mount Prospect, IL), the Baltimore Orioles in the 1st round (9th) of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase and the . Defense to me is the key to playing baseball. the games Mays appeared in, specifically relating to his Please consider purchasing this great coffee table book through our Amazon links. . 9th inning (37), 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays Rookie Card. Search for: Willie Mays Stats. Join our linker program. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Why didnt he call it quits at the height of his powers? Mays homered off 266 different pitchers during his career, connected most often while batting third in the lineup, and drove in 1038 total runs when he went deep! 1954 - Willie Mays made "The Catch" during the 1954 World Series. What are your feelings about this particular list? The chart below is a comprehensive analysis of the games Mays appeared in, specifically relating to his 1971 hitting statistics. Mays faced 14 Hall of Fame pitchers overall, posting a .286 batting average and an .859 OPS over 1,319 plate appearances. Mays was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 25, 1951, with the New York Giants. Though he did not see any action, Mays spent three innings at short before shifting back to center field for the remainder of San Francisco's 23-inning victory. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Willie Mays won twelve consecutive Gold Gloves starting the year the award was first introduced (1957) and up through 1968! Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. ESPN Writer: ESPN Outside the Lines. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. But whatever was left in the tank seemed spent by 1973. He was just 1-for-10 at the plate, while fellow Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry earned the win after tossing 10 scoreless innings in relief. Exceeded rookie limits during 1951 season, View Player Bio 1960s - Willie Mays, on January 17, 1970, was named by The Sporting News the Player of the Decade, the best ballplayers during the entire decade of the 1960s! But looking back through these first two games of the 73 World Series (which might be the best thing on Youtube right now), you can see that Mays really wanted to be out there on that diamond. His .407 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage that season are the highest among any of the four players in this exclusive group. MLB Comparisons is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB, MLB.com or any teams . I catch fly balls." Actually, Willie Mays did both. copyright=new Date(); On Thursday, the Say Hey Kid gets to add another one: He turns 90 years . document.write(update); Baseball Almanac presents The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in our comprehensive Legendary Lists section. Back in the Bay Area, a late addition after Rusty Staub was scratched, Mays gets the start in center, a short boat ride from his old stomping grounds at Candlestick. He welcomes Thomson home, elated, relieved, knowing that hed get his turns at-bat with a promising future ahead of him. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. The total success rate of Willie Mays is about 76.7 percent. In the box, through the fuzz of blown out colors and poor quality retention, Mays looks like he did in his prime. The Giants' home ballpark was Seals Stadium.The team had a record of 80-74 finishing in third place in the National League standings, twelve games behind the NL Champion Milwaukee Braves.. Of the broadcast team, Russ Hodges left his former broadcasting partners in New . 3 - Willie Mays, on May 12, 1972, became the third Giants' player to have his number (#24) retired by the franchise, joining Carl Hubbell (#11 | Retired in 1944) and Mel Ott (#4 | Retired in 1949). The New York Mets retired Willie Mayss number 24 last Saturday. 19) Three is good, four is betterOf the 28 players in the 500-home run club, none hit as many triples as Mays' 140. "Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars" is his revealing, humorous memoir. . During his time in professional baseball, he came to the plate 12,545 times and came . Age: 91. Notes: The Date / Box field has a link I love this image though. But there was no fairy-tale Ted Williams smash, no bidding adieu for Mayshe grounded into a fielders choice and New York lost 3-2 in the 11th. Stats. Incredibly, Mays' four-homer effort came opposite fellow Hall of Famer Henry Aaron, who hit two long balls of his own in one of the best head-to-head slugging showdowns of all-time. 1973 National League All-Star. Mays, however, is the only player who is a member of both clubs. Mays accomplished the feat in 1957, when he racked up 26 doubles, 20 triples, 35 homers and 38 stolen bases. Stats. Willie Mays had a .301 average over his career. You can see stats, World Series, awards and more. -. (PREMIUM setting) Mays hit his first two home runs -- a solo shot in the first and a two-run homer in the third -- off three-time All-Star and 1957 World Series MVP Lew Burdette. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Born: May 6, 1931 in Westfield, AL. But whatever was left in the tank seemed spent by 1973. Charisma.". The Say Hey Kid is currently the oldest living Hall of Fame player! Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. May 6, 1931 . documentary. copyright=new Date(); "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Willie Mays played for 4 teams; the Birmingham Black Barons, New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. Mays steps out. American - Athlete Born: May 6, 1931 See also: Quotes about Willie Mays. 15) Forget 20-20, Mays sees 20-20-20-20Mays is one of just four players -- along with Frank Schulte (1911), Jimmy Rollins (2007) and Curtis Granderson (2007) -- to record at least 20 doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases in the same season. Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Willie Mays. Copyright 1999- Mays even referenced this in his statement when Aaron passed away at the age of 86, one year ago Saturday. . Willie Mays had 3,293 hits over his career. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Willie Mays. If the Date is followed by an asterisk (*), Mays started during that game at the first position listed in vs. MON 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. For his pro baseball career, Mays slapped 660 baseballs over the fence while knocking in 1,909 runs. They throw the ball, I hit it. Yet neither could find an answer for Mays' prowess at the plate. He was an All-Star in each of those seasons and was the National League MVP in 1973. 23) 162-game averagesEven factoring in the decline over his final seasons, Mays' career numbers work out to 162-game averages of 36 homers, 103 RBIs and 18 stolen bases. . 1-Willie MaysBill James Historical Baseball AbstractBill James "-"Baseball Digest,June,1955- . Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. The following season, Mays won his first home run championship (his first of four), led the league in total bases (which he did three times) and extra base hits (which he did two times). Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Willie Mays 1971 League Championship Series Batting Logs. "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. - Sportswriter Harry Jupiter in The San Francisco Chronicle [Willie Mays Quotes], Willie 'The Say Hey Kid' Mays Autograph on a 1986 Topps Baseball Card (#403 | Checklist), Willie Mays Miscellaneous Items of Interest. On the road, Willie Mays appeared in 73 games, had 232 at-bats, drove in 34 runs, scored 43 times, had 59 hits (12 doubles / 2 triples / 9 home runs), walked 56 times (5 intentional), struck out 75 times, was hit by a pitcher 0 times, sacrificed 4 times (1 hits & 3 flies), and finished at home with a .254 batting average, .395 on base percentage and .439 slugging average? The chart below is a comprehensive analysis of $165,000.00. Negro League data is not complete. Its an admission. Rule Changes Probable Pitchers Starting Lineups . He just wanted, maybe needed, to be around the game. Did you know that in the Willie Mays Miscellaneous All-Star Items of Interest section seen above you can click the Stats link under the All-Star label and a truly comprehensive history of that All-Star Game will appear on your . Mays logged only 10 at-bats over 12 games. Next pitch, Mays offers at a sweeping slider that is somehow deemed a no-swing by first base umpire and Mays, half-turned towards the dugout, leans back on his bat, a bit chastised now, almost embarrassed that he got the call. International Television & Video Almanac 1995 Springer Players. Of course, the classic image is of him on his knees, arms spread wide, pleading with the umpire after an close play at the plate. . In a 1-2 count, he takes a fastball from As starter Ken Holtzman that teases the outside of the plate. I just struck me while looking at Mays' career on BBRef that much noise is made about the time guys like Ted Williams lost to military service in WWII, but Willie missing almost two seasons to the service in the '50s is pretty much ignored. Mays homered off 266 different pitchers during his career, connected most often while batting third in the lineup, and drove in 1038 . Like Hank Aaron in Brewers garb or Babe Ruth as a Boston Brave. "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. Willie Mays Stats, Fantasy & News Noticias. 12) Three is the magic numberMays is one of 33 members of the 3,000-hit club, but he's the only player in MLB history with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 average, 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases. copyright=new Date(); 16) Ranking among the bestMays ranks third among position players with 156.2 bWAR, trailing only Babe Ruth (162.8) and Barry Bonds (162.1). He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw and field. If you find this type of "free" data useful please consider Did you know that 65,829 fans watched the League Championship game played on October 11, 2003 - the most of any single game in Major League history? Mays, licks his fingers after cutting his 37th birthday cake given to him by Judge Roy Hofheinz just before the game with his Houston Astros, May 6, 1968. Youth. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Mays clearly didn't miss a beat upon returning in '54, leading the Majors with a .345 average and a .667 slugging percentage, while also racking up 41 homers, 110 RBIs and an NL-best 13 triples en route to earning his first NL MVP Award. It's no wonder that Mays is a member of Baseball's All-Time Team and still one of the most collected players of the 20th century. Willie Mays in a blue-and-orange is always a fun double-take. Full Name: Willie Mays Aikens View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen. Visit the main page for Willie Mays for his comprehensive regular season statistics and All-Star data. . extra innings (22). Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Willie was young (21-22), but he had hit 20 HRs in .