@@anthonyfowler2623 I did not say that Willie was the best athlete, but the best baseball player. Jackie was a great all-around athlete not the best all-around baseball player.
Rest in Peace Willie! I was born in 1954 and my dad was a NY Giants fan for almost 40 yrs. When I was born he dubbed me a Giants fan. As such I was regaled with Willie Mays stories. When Mays came to play at Shay we were there. In '62 we rooted for Willie & the Giants against the Yanks. Hey Willie, thanks for the memories and Say Hey! to my dad when you see him.
As a 60 something from Alabama, Willie Mays was my absolute hero from my adolescence to this very day. I met him one day in the early 1980's in Birmingham one day in a business. I just looked at him in silent awe, he looked at me and gave me a nod and a grin. I had gooseflesh. Willie Mays is still the best, Willie is still my hero.
My father took me to the Polo grounds twice. Once to see Willie, and once to see Sandy Koufax. I was a Yankee fan, dad was not. When talking about another player, he would always say “he’s a good player, but he’s not Willie.” I went with two buddies, fast forwarding to Willie’s first game as a Met. It was on Mother’s Day, a bit drizzly, but an electric crowd. If I remember correctly, he walked and scored first time up, struck out second time, third time up hits a home run and Shea went crazy. Still an unforgettable day for me. God bless the great Willie Mays.
What a life!! Thank you, WILLIE MAYS for doing your part to help tame mankind with your gift, talent, grace and to help level baseball's playing field. You will always be beyond what we know as an icon. Your legacy is sealed and cannot be undone.
In 1957 my dad took me, by New York Central train, from Rochester to NYC. He said he wanted me to see the greatest player I will ever see before he left for the west coast. There ,in the Polo Grounds, I first saw Willie Mays. My dad remains correct. Over the next 63 seasons I’ve never seen anyone as good.
Rise In Paradise, King Willie... from the moment I learned about baseball, Willie Mays was my favorite baseball player, and still is today (2024). He was a living legend in my eyes. I think it's fair to say that he is THE G.O.A.T. 🐐
I remember the swirling wind blown hot dog wrappers on the field of Candlestick Park. I remember that sometimes the crowd in one half of the stadium were in coats, while in the other half fans were in light wear or even no shirt at all. I remember that special feeling walking from the parking lot to the stadium on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The smells. The sounds. But most of all, I remember Willie Mays. God Bless Willie Mays.
i dont . they make it seem like a guy like trout or bonds couldnt play in there era. its stupid that they try too compare the stats back then they would see the same pitcher for almost all the nine innings less teams pitchers maybe hade 3 pitches.
@@ryukenhondaraiden You of course are a moron. Barry Bonds is a cheater. The old time players played for the love of the game. Not for big salaries like today. There was no one like Willie Mays before or since.
I'm 64 and from San Francisco and Willie was my childhood hero. Willie would be well over 720 Homer's if he didn't play in homerun eating barns like Candlestick and lose 2 years to the Army.
My dad was a NY Giant fan so i grew up being a Giant fan in the mid 60s i loved Willie Mays i watched the Giants games alot McCovey Alou Cepeda Bonds Marichal loved the games Willie best centerfielder RIP
In the late 1960s, we would leave Portland, OR at 7am for a 7pm game at Candlestick. Driving 12 hours for a chance to see Willie Mays play was well worth it.
All I can say is that I was fortunate to watch Willie play at candlestick Park. Every year when I was a kid, my dad would take a group of 4Hers to San Francisco.
I was born in 1960 a little too late but still got to follow Willie's career in the daily box scores after school..First thing I would do when I got off the bus,run straight to the paper box,grab the sports page & my after school snack then open up to the box scores to see what Willie did the night before..My favorite player of all time..
Ruth did.2,214 Rbi,2,174 Runs scored,.342 b.a.,.690 slug.%,.474 on base %,714 hrs,In only 2,503 games.Mays had over 3,000 games and only hit.302 with 660 hrs and 1,903 rbi.And since when could Mays pitch?
Mantle was better at their peak....considerably better......Mays was better over his career, because he had a longer career, and a longer period of top production. But May's best year was not as good as Mantle's third best year. The big difference is On Base Percentage. Willie was a more aggressive hitter, and didn't draw as many walks as Mantle
Mantle's career OBP was.420, Willie's was .383. OBP correlates better with run production than any other main stat. Mantle also had the better career Slugging Percentage, which is the second best stat for run production. Willie was a better fielder, but Mantle was a very good center fielder. Mays had a great stolen base percentage, but Mantle's was even better, although he didn't steal quite as many bases. Willie grounded into about twice as many double plays as Mickey. But whatever advantage Willie might have had over Mickey on defense or the base paths, it didn't make up for the disparity in offensive production. Willie was more fun to watch, though....
I hear you but instead of wishing that we were older, instead let’s just be thankful that we’ve been fortunate enough that our lives have overlapped with willies time on earth. We know old people’s stories that saw him play and we’ll be able to pass on those stories to the next generations, for me, at least 100 years after he played eventually
after all these years. I still smile, ear to ear, when watching highlights of Willie's career. I was 11 yrs old when they moved away from NY. Stayed as a Giant fan until he left SF. Greatest player of my generation.
Vic Lessinger aww! When i was 11, mcguire and sosa were in their home run race. Now that im older i dont look back fondly because i know they were both cheating via suitcases full of steroids.
I lived in central California from 1963 to 1971. Willie Mays was 32 to 40 during those years. I never saw a better player..and I've been a huge baseball fan for 60 years. He made everything look so smooth and easy.
RIP my friend you were one of the GREATEST to ever play this game. Your Field of Dreams is all ready for you center field is calling for you your teammates can't wait for your first at bat so SAY HEY Willie enjoy the game you loved so much on earth and gave us fans so much joy and memories. Now you can show God why you were one of the greatest to ever play the game
I was lucky enough to grow up in his neighborhood in Florida. My Dad was absolutely in AWE of him and told me he was the best ever. Being a little kid, it didn't really register I lived in the same street as a legend. All I remember is how incredibly kind he was.
Don’t forget almost two full seasons away for service in the Army, alongside a career at Candlestick, as two major factors that decreased Willie’s career stats.
I don't think there is any other hitter that could change his swing the way Willie MAYS did at Candlestick to hit to right centerfield to let the wind carry the ball out of the park! AMAYSING!
Polo grounds was a good hitter's park.....very short foul lines, sat on a hill (which gives the ball carry), and little foul territory, so you don't foul out much. @@michelemcdaniel6032
7 mvp's…anti probably should have been 12 or 13. .609 OBP one year .863 slugging percentage 73 home runs. another year, 52 stolen bases another year, 8 gold gloves. Who els approaches that level? Babe Ruth only, and he played in an era that was easier to dominate. @@BuckyBrown-lt4ry
In the 1960’s I was a young happy boy, no money pressures, no women pressures, no boss pressures, I would wake up and look for the newspaper to see how Willie performed had done the night before he seldom let me down. Happiest time in my life as I also was a best player in my town when I was young. As a white male, I gave my last son’s middle name, Willie. It was the happiest time of my life. Over the last 60 years I have thought day dreamed about Willie virtually every day of my life. God bless Willie Mays immortal soul.
I was a seven year old growing up in the Bay Area, listening on KSFO radio July 2, 1963, the night Willie ended a 0-O pitching gem by homering off Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 16th inning. (That was Spahn’s 263rd pitch of the night...if you’re curious.) No man in ML history has done that-hit at least one HR in extra innings, 10th thru the 16th. A tribute to his longevity and unmatched talent. Happy 87, Willie! If my votes registers anywhere, you’re the best to ever do it.
The first MLB game I ever attended featured Willie Mays with the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park in 1970. I've attended hundreds of games (including World Series games) since then but that one ranks as one of the most special.
I used to marvel at the opportunity to see Willie on TV Saturday afternoon. Everything he did and all of his mannerisms including how he would address the pitcher when he stepped into the batters box were the trademarks that he emblazoned upon the game. He was beyond a doubt the most feared hitter that all pitchers knew and thought of. Willie Mays will always in my mind be unparralelled in any era of our nations passtime. Long Live the Great One. Long Live Willie Mays.
Willie MAYS came up in 1951... I was 11 years old....never saw anyone better! Every year since,each outfielder (centerfielder) that came to the majors was the NEXT WILLIE MAYS ! There will never be another WILLIE MAYS!
Jimmy Ray Hart said hitting behind Mays was dangerous. After Mays homered off of Bob Gibson, Gibson would invariably and intentionally bean Hart in retaliation.
I'm 64 grew up in have de grace MD a orioles fan my hero Brooks Robinson ,but the greatest of all Willie may's hands down thanks Willie you were the best.
Willie broke my father's heart in '54. Talking about that WS years later, my dad, a lifelong Cleveland fan, would always speak in awe about Willie. There was no one who didn't respect him, teammate or opponent. Best there ever was.
I remember when WM came back to the Mets and he was past his prime stumbling through the OF. I thought to myself, "say bye kid" you'll always be remembered as one of the GOAT
I love the game presently, I love the game's past. I'm a National League "boy" through and through from New York. My wife's grandfather who is still with us grew up a Yankee fan. He saw the great ones from the 30's on up. He caddied for Babe Ruth in the late 30's or early 40's in Queens, New York two times as a working teen. He's always told me that Mays was the greatest he saw. To me that's good enough. Mays is always my answer to the greatest all-around player to ever play the game.
It was 1955. I was 11 years old. I was a Yankee fan, Mickey Mantle my favorite, how could it be otherwise, but was acutely aware of both Brooklyn’s Duke Snider and the Giants Willie Mays. I identified with both Mickey and Willie, as I played both shortstop and centerfield. Mays had become famous for his 1954 catch against the Cleveland Indians Vic Wertz in game 1 of the 1954 World Series. In the Spring of 1955, our 5th grade teacher took our class in a school bus to the Polo Grounds to watch the Giants play the St. Louis Cardinals, whose Hall-of-Fame first baseman, Stan Musial was still playing. We arrived an hour before the game and were seated on the third base side while the Giants were still taking batting practice. Mays was positioned in the outfield with some of his teammates leisurely catching fungoes hit by a Giants coach. He was standing in deep centerfield next to a teammate when the Giants coach hit one high in the air. Mays heard the distinctive sound and gave a momentary glance to the ball’s trajectory. He returned his gaze to his Giant’s teammate and simultaneously took three horizontal steps to the right, still engaging his teammate in conversation. Seconds passed. Then Mays took another momentary glance at the descending ball, put his hands behind his back, bent over and caught the ball in a reverse basket catch behind his back. I was stunned. The visual/mental computer in his brain had calculated precisely where the ball was going to land within fractions of a second of its launch. It was almost magical, and I recognized, perhaps for the first time, that there are rare gifts some people possess who we, mere mortals, do not. One can only marvel at those that have been so blessed.
Wonderful recollection. May's was also a true gentleman loved by SF. 13 yrs ago l was a Junior Giants coach and took our 10yr old kids to a special event at Oracle Park at 24 Willie May's Plaza. He and Willie McCovey greeted over 200 kids from Junior Giants teams from all over the area. Both Willie's are true Southern Gentlemen and devoted countless hours and events for youth benefits. MLB has lost 2 legends but heaven gained 2 more angels.❤
Saw him in the outfield directing the position of the other two outfielders. They weren't taking direction from their coaches. They were taking it from Mays. He may or may not be the greatest player but he is definitely the smartest.
Being from Denver Colorado, I watched Barry Bonds play a zillion times. He hit home runs on the regular. I always wondered if Willie played for the Rockies, he may have downed low flying aircraft 😂
If Hank played in the Polo Grounds instead of Milwaukee, which was a very difficult home run park (Hank hit more homers the road than at home for the years he played there), it would have evened out. Willie hit about the same number of homers on the road as he did at home during his Candlestick years.
simply he was the best all around ballplayer of all time. and a great athlete,tremendous inspiration to untold millions of young people, a great credit to the game, and american life....
Was Henry Aaron a cheat? He admitted to using "greenies" in the 70s (amphetamines). Maybe Willie did, too. Lots of players joked about using them back then. It was not considered a big deal. Babe Ruth drank alcohol during prohibition. There was no clear rule against PED use until 2003. Just vague talk about "illegal substances", and they were legal in the Dominican Republic, where all kinds of top players were coming from. Jose Canseco said 80% of the players were using steroids. A certain mets pitcher said 90%….and that the pitchers were using them at a higher rate than the hitters….Teams subtly encouraged their use. Tommy John said the Yankees would not consider him for the following season when he got old unless he "gain 30 pounds of muscle in the offseason!" Bonds won three MVPs WITHOUT steroids, when everyone else was using them! Willie only won two MVPs…although he probably should have won one in 1962, instead of Maury Wills…
My favorite all time athlete. I saw him play and was amazed. Being a Giants fan watching him play he seemed to be on another level! No one today compares to him. RIP my friend.
I watched Mays play growing up. He was my hero. I kept a scrapbook on him., watched him play on TV many times. He moved differently than any other player.... even the way he walked. He swung so hard some times that if he missed the ball the momentum of the bat would almost knock him off his feet and drag him around so he'd be facing the crowd behind the plate. Elegant in the outfield. The greatest ever,
I can't even imagine Baseball without Willie. My favorite player, the best of all. One guy told me that AROD was the best player, I told him, Arod is on the bench and might get an at bat here and there.
This is one of if not the greatest episode in one of the greatest sports docuseries ever produced in the last 50+years!! RIP Willie Mays!! "Where triples go to die!"
Willie Mays absolutely broke the mold. Never mind best baseball player - one of the finest persons to walk this Earth. He didn’t have this superiority complex that prevented him from connecting to the fans, especially the kids. I love that man.
Willie Mays is the greatest baseball player of all time. Sometimes overlooked is his throwing arm, Ted Williams is quoted as saying "Willie Mays has the greatest throwing arm I have ever seen".
@@brianf481 The hell you say.He did not even finish first in one offensive category.The best players are the ones who break the most records.You GTHOH!
I grew up watching the greatest baseball players of the 1960s : Mays, Mantle and Frank Robinson. There hasn't been anybody anywhere close to these guys since.
djf750 Mike Trout? Not too bad, huh? Isn’t it amazing that he plays in LA, but he’s SO underrated? He needs the publicity, because he’s one of the best players ever.
Let's not forget wen that catch was made he was almost 500 feet away from home plate his throwback to Second base was perfect one-hop. Amazing and unbelievable to this day
Willie Mays got the first hit of the 1973 World Series. He also drove in the go ahead run for the Mets in Game 2....and later scored an additional run in that same inning. Days before, Willie singled and drove in a run against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 of the NLCS. He also caught a fly ball in CF.
At 66 years old and he has been and still is my hero. From the first time I seen him on television at 9 years old until I met him in person in 1996 in Balley's casino where I was a electrician. The biggest thrill in my life. Willie Mays is and always will be the best that ever played the game. I walked and talked with him and shook his hand, the only thing I asked for was to hear him say....Say Hey, witch he did happily. The biggest hand I have ever seen.
If Willie Mays is your uncle you should be proud.... In my eyes he was the greatest and I have idolized him most of my life. The players of this day and age don't even come close... YOUR UNCLE WAS THE BEST...
For me, watching Willie Mays was like Richie Cunningham looking up to "The Fonz". He just had that kind of impact on me as a baseball fan. One of my biggest thrills was watching WIllie play against the Montreal Expos on July 1, 1972 at Jarry Park in Montreal. Sometimes, it is GOOD to be old!
Funny how the portrayal of Willie's years with the Mets differs from my youthful recollection. I was so happy we had him that I probably ignored his declining skills. The late 60's and early 70's were a great time to become a baseball fan. I caught some of the all-time greats on their way out-- Banks, Aaron, Mays, McCovey, Frank Robinson, Killebrew, Billy Williams, Kaline and on and on.
lived in NY from 73 to 76... Willie was the best, played with the great Tug, and Jackson, and he still talks about these games like yesterday. Love Willie, 89 yrs old. Oh my gosh, what a time.
A little bit of Willie Mays lore...for most San Franciscans...listening to Lon Simmons on the radio while at work was how we checked out the Giants. I am not sure you can say the following about any other outfielder that ever played the game...but...when Lon Simmons said there was a drive into center...there was no longer any doubt about that ball being caught because the greatest centerfielder on this planet or on any planet was soon tapping his glove and that was that....
I was at Wrigley Field when I first saw Willie Mays. The Cubs' Tony Taylor was on first when Dale Long hit a line drive to center field. The ball was heading for the ivy on the top of the brick wall when Willie ran at the wall, jumped up onto that wall, stuck his spikes into the ivy and launched himself into the air. He grabbed the ball and turned while in the air, landed on one foot and fired the ball to first base where he doubled off Tony Taylor. The ball never bounced but hit the first baseman's glove like a rocket. The crowd was stunned and a great silence hung over the ball park. When Willie stepped into the batter's box he launched a bomb that sailed over the wall and was lost on the street. I've never seen anyone like him. You can promote Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr. or anyone else as the greatest outfielder. The man was the best ballplayer of all time. Period.
As much a fan of Ted Williams as I am, Willie Mays is the best I ever saw play. I was a centerfielder when I played baseball and I tried...and failed miserably...to play like Willie out there.
Here's a picture of the catch you are talking about, I think. Great catch, but it looks like he didn't put his foot on the wall, since there is no ivy in the place where he catches the ball…..www.pinterest.com/pin/548242954610978115/?lp=true
I had the privilege of watching Willie Mays play during his breakout MVP 1954 season,including "the catch."He would subsequently win another MVP Award 11 years later.How "amazin" is that?
R.I.P. Willie. Not only my favorite baseball player but my favorite athlete. The best all-around player in MLB history.
You can say that again!
@@kenyongray2615 Jackie Robinson might disagree…considering he played both football and baseball and was a guard at ucla
@@anthonyfowler2623 I did not say that Willie was the best athlete, but the best baseball player. Jackie was a great all-around athlete not the best all-around baseball player.
@@anthonyfowler2623what about Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson lol
Goodbye Willie. Thanks for the memories! I was in the left field bleachers with my family when you hit #3,000. God's outfield is now complete.
⚾️💙⚾️
Had to come here after the passing of Willie Mays. The greatest ever. A true GIANT. Rest in peace legend. A true hero.
Rest in Peace Willie! I was born in 1954 and my dad was a NY Giants fan for almost 40 yrs. When I was born he dubbed me a Giants fan. As such I was regaled with Willie Mays stories. When Mays came to play at Shay we were there. In '62 we rooted for Willie & the Giants against the Yanks. Hey Willie, thanks for the memories and Say Hey! to my dad when you see him.
As a 60 something from Alabama, Willie Mays was my absolute hero from my adolescence to this very day. I met him one day in the early 1980's in Birmingham one day in a business. I just looked at him in silent awe, he looked at me and gave me a nod and a grin. I had gooseflesh. Willie Mays is still the best, Willie is still my hero.
As a kid, when Willie had a good day, I had a good day. And when Willie had a bad day, I had a bad day.
no kidding he was real he just rode the perfect wave of life.talented and a unique AMERICAN ICON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still have his Giants baseball card
😲 wow a white person from Alabama liking a black athlete? Unbelievable..
@@tvworks3861 that's gotta be worth a lot of money.
My father took me to the Polo grounds twice. Once to see Willie, and once to see Sandy Koufax. I was a Yankee fan, dad was not. When talking about another player, he would always say “he’s a good player, but he’s not Willie.” I went with two buddies, fast forwarding to Willie’s first game as a Met. It was on Mother’s Day, a bit drizzly, but an electric crowd. If I remember correctly, he walked and scored first time up, struck out second time, third time up hits a home run and Shea went crazy. Still an unforgettable day for me. God bless the great Willie Mays.
Happy 90th Birthday Mr. Mays! Greatest player anybody living and not blind has ever seen, footage included!
Can’t believe he’s still alive
Happy 93rd birthday to Willie Mays.
I SEEN WILLIE MAYS IN 1968A DOUBLE WITH METS N SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS AT SHEA
STADIUM. HE HOMERD AND
MADE A SHOE STRING CATCH
BETWEEN HIS LEGS.
What a life!! Thank you, WILLIE MAYS for doing your part to help tame mankind with your gift, talent, grace and to help level baseball's playing field. You will always be beyond what we know as an icon. Your legacy is sealed and cannot be undone.
I am a baseball fanatic St Louis on 56 years old Mr Willie Mays make me proud to be a black man
In 1957 my dad took me, by New York Central train, from Rochester to NYC. He said he wanted me to see the greatest player I will ever see before he left for the west coast.
There ,in the Polo Grounds, I first saw Willie Mays.
My dad remains correct. Over the next 63 seasons I’ve never seen anyone as good.
I seen Willie mays at Shea
Stadium in the summer of
1968. He hit a home n
Made a shoe string catch
Seeing is believing
Shohei Ohtani comes close. So does prime Ron Guidry or Doc Gooden.
Rip willie Mays 1931-2024 🌹🌟
Rise In Paradise, King Willie... from the moment I learned about baseball, Willie Mays was my favorite baseball player, and still is today (2024). He was a living legend in my eyes. I think it's fair to say that he is THE G.O.A.T. 🐐
I remember the swirling wind blown hot dog wrappers on the field of Candlestick Park. I remember that sometimes the crowd in one half of the stadium were in coats, while in the other half fans were in light wear or even no shirt at all. I remember that special feeling walking from the parking lot to the stadium on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The smells. The sounds. But most of all, I remember Willie Mays. God Bless Willie Mays.
My dad grew up watching Willie Mays play live. He even went to the 1962 World Series!!! For me Willie Mays is the greatest baseballer ever
OMG I saw so many of Mays games. He was unbelievable. He could do anything out there.
Willie Mays was my boyhood sports idol. I am 69 years old.
I like listening to old timers talk about old time baseball, they all put extra juice into their stories...
LOVE IT!!! 😂
i dont . they make it seem like a guy like trout or bonds couldnt play in there era. its stupid that they try too compare the stats back then they would see the same pitcher for almost all the nine innings less teams pitchers maybe hade 3 pitches.
@@ryukenhondaraiden You of course are a moron. Barry Bonds is a cheater. The old time players played for the love of the game. Not for big salaries like today. There was no one like Willie Mays before or since.
I'm 64 and from San Francisco and Willie was my childhood hero. Willie would be well over 720 Homer's if he didn't play in homerun eating barns like Candlestick and lose 2 years to the Army.
My dad was a NY Giant fan so i grew up being a Giant fan in the mid 60s i loved Willie Mays i watched the Giants games alot McCovey Alou Cepeda Bonds Marichal loved the games Willie best centerfielder RIP
In the late 1960s, we would leave Portland, OR at 7am for a 7pm game at Candlestick. Driving 12 hours for a chance to see Willie Mays play was well worth it.
man is that ever dedication.I think Mays hitting 52 in'65 is more impressive than Ruth's or Maris's records.
All I can say is that I was fortunate to watch Willie play at candlestick Park. Every year when I was a kid, my dad would take a group of 4Hers to San Francisco.
I was born in 1960 a little too late but still got to follow Willie's career in the daily box scores after school..First thing I would do when I got off the bus,run straight to the paper box,grab the sports page & my after school snack then open up to the box scores to see what Willie did the night before..My favorite player of all time..
Williie Mays is the best baseball player period. Throw, hit, run, catch. No one did it better
Matt VanGundy Barry Bonds did...
Yeah but Bonds was juiced.
Ruth did.2,214 Rbi,2,174 Runs scored,.342 b.a.,.690 slug.%,.474 on base %,714 hrs,In only 2,503 games.Mays had over 3,000 games and only hit.302 with 660 hrs and 1,903 rbi.And since when could Mays pitch?
Mantle was better at their peak....considerably better......Mays was better over his career, because he had a longer career, and a longer period of top production. But May's best year was not as good as Mantle's third best year. The big difference is On Base Percentage. Willie was a more aggressive hitter, and didn't draw as many walks as Mantle
Mantle's career OBP was.420, Willie's was .383. OBP correlates better with run production than any other main stat. Mantle also had the better career Slugging Percentage, which is the second best stat for run production. Willie was a better fielder, but Mantle was a very good center fielder. Mays had a great stolen base percentage, but Mantle's was even better, although he didn't steal quite as many bases. Willie grounded into about twice as many double plays as Mickey. But whatever advantage Willie might have had over Mickey on defense or the base paths, it didn't make up for the disparity in offensive production. Willie was more fun to watch, though....
If you don’t love this game, you just don’t understand.
Willie was the MAN !!! Still is one of the greatest. ❤️
My hero. There isn't a day that goes by where I wish I was old enough to see this true living legend play
MANCHESTER UNITED Uh...congratulations?
@MANCHESTER UNITED "important sport" is about as logical as a concept as "reality tv"
@MANCHESTER UNITED why are you here?
I hear you but instead of wishing that we were older, instead let’s just be thankful that we’ve been fortunate enough that our lives have overlapped with willies time on earth. We know old people’s stories that saw him play and we’ll be able to pass on those stories to the next generations, for me, at least 100 years after he played eventually
Don't worry I've seen him play and I consider him to be the best all around Baseball player of all time!
after all these years. I still smile, ear to ear, when watching highlights of Willie's career. I was 11 yrs old when they moved away from NY. Stayed as a Giant fan until he left SF. Greatest player of my generation.
Vic Lessinger aww! When i was 11, mcguire and sosa were in their home run race. Now that im older i dont look back fondly because i know they were both cheating via suitcases full of steroids.
I hope you're a met fan now
He sure was!
I lived in central California from 1963 to 1971. Willie Mays was 32 to 40 during those years. I never saw a better player..and I've been a huge baseball fan for 60 years. He made everything look so smooth and easy.
One of the best maybe the BEST who walked the earth....since i was born in 1954...
I remember my first time to a major league park, Candlestick in 1968. I was watching Mays the whole time.
RIP my friend you were one of the GREATEST to ever play this game. Your Field of Dreams is all ready for you center field is calling for you your teammates can't wait for your first at bat so SAY HEY Willie enjoy the game you loved so much on earth and gave us fans so much joy and memories. Now you can show God why you were one of the greatest to ever play the game
I was lucky enough to grow up in his neighborhood in Florida. My Dad was absolutely in AWE of him and told me he was the best ever. Being a little kid, it didn't really register I lived in the same street as a legend. All I remember is how incredibly kind he was.
As a dominican there should be a lot more of us watching this legend
Don’t forget almost two full seasons away for service in the Army, alongside a career at Candlestick, as two major factors that decreased Willie’s career stats.
I don't think there is any other hitter that could change his swing the way Willie MAYS did at Candlestick to hit to right centerfield to let the wind carry the ball out of the park! AMAYSING!
The polo grounds where he started was worse than candlestick
Polo grounds was a good hitter's park.....very short foul lines, sat on a hill (which gives the ball carry), and little foul territory, so you don't foul out much. @@michelemcdaniel6032
Willy's skills was so impeccable he made the game look so easy
Ted Williams: "If there was someone born to play baseball, it was Willie Mays."
I love Ted BUT Willie Mays was the Greatest Baseball player ever!!!!
No, it was Babe Ruth, or Barry Bonds. Mays does not approach them.
@@joemarshall4226 Bonds? Get real.
7 mvp's…anti probably should have been 12 or 13. .609 OBP one year .863 slugging percentage 73 home runs. another year, 52 stolen bases another year, 8 gold gloves. Who els approaches that level? Babe Ruth only, and he played in an era that was easier to dominate.
@@BuckyBrown-lt4ry
Jackie🙃😇
In the 1960’s I was a young happy boy, no money pressures, no women pressures, no boss pressures, I would wake up and look for the newspaper to see how Willie performed had done the night before he seldom let me down. Happiest time in my life as I also was a best player in my town when I was young. As a white male, I gave my last son’s middle name, Willie. It was the happiest time of my life. Over the last 60 years I have thought day dreamed about Willie virtually every day of my life. God bless Willie Mays immortal soul.
My Dad being from Birmingham and then coming to NY,Willie was his favorite player and I wanted to play like him
I met Willie in the 70's When he played with the Mets at Wriggley Field in Chiargo What a great guy to talk to really liked talking to his Fans etc.
No question..... The most complete player to ever play the game
Townes van zandt
I was a seven year old growing up in the Bay Area, listening on KSFO radio July 2, 1963, the night Willie ended a 0-O pitching gem by homering off Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 16th inning. (That was Spahn’s 263rd pitch of the night...if you’re curious.) No man in ML history has done that-hit at least one HR in extra innings, 10th thru the 16th. A tribute to his longevity and unmatched talent. Happy 87, Willie! If my votes registers anywhere, you’re the best to ever do it.
The first MLB game I ever attended featured Willie Mays with the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park in 1970. I've attended hundreds of games (including World Series games) since then but that one ranks as one of the most special.
Baseball is my passion, Willie Mays my hero - thanks for this excellent video!
If Koufax says Willie best, he is the best player.
Joe S That's because he never faced Bonds!
Jo Bckts Or Cobb.
If Stats Guru Bill James says Willie was the best, fine. But he says Babe Ruth.
@@AHMAD-2324 Oh yes we can't forget the Steroid freak that cheated, LOL!
@@AHMAD-2324 LMAO
I used to marvel at the opportunity to see Willie on TV Saturday afternoon. Everything he did and all of his mannerisms including how he would address the pitcher when he stepped into the batters box were the trademarks that he emblazoned upon the game. He was beyond a doubt the most feared hitter that all pitchers knew and thought of. Willie Mays will always in my mind be unparralelled in any era of our nations passtime. Long Live the Great One. Long Live Willie Mays.
Willie MAYS came up in 1951... I was 11 years old....never saw anyone better! Every year since,each outfielder (centerfielder) that came to the majors was the NEXT WILLIE MAYS ! There will never be another WILLIE MAYS!
Jimmy Ray Hart said hitting behind Mays was dangerous. After Mays homered off of Bob Gibson, Gibson would invariably and intentionally bean Hart in retaliation.
Amen Brother
I'm 64 grew up in have de grace MD a orioles fan my hero Brooks Robinson ,but the greatest of all Willie may's hands down thanks Willie you were the best.
Happy 90th Birthday, Mr. Mays!
WE LOVE YOU, WILLIE!!!!!!
Is he gonna live forever
Willie broke my father's heart in '54. Talking about that WS years later, my dad, a lifelong Cleveland fan, would always speak in awe about Willie. There was no one who didn't respect him, teammate or opponent. Best there ever was.
I remember when WM came back to the Mets and he was past his prime stumbling through the OF. I thought to myself, "say bye kid" you'll always be remembered as one of the GOAT
I love the game presently, I love the game's past. I'm a National League "boy" through and through from New York. My wife's grandfather who is still with us grew up a Yankee fan. He saw the great ones from the 30's on up. He caddied for Babe Ruth in the late 30's or early 40's in Queens, New York two times as a working teen. He's always told me that Mays was the greatest he saw. To me that's good enough. Mays is always my answer to the greatest all-around player to ever play the game.
It was 1955. I was 11 years old. I was a Yankee fan, Mickey Mantle my favorite, how could it be otherwise, but was acutely aware of both Brooklyn’s Duke Snider and the Giants Willie Mays. I identified with both Mickey and Willie, as I played both shortstop and centerfield. Mays had become famous for his 1954 catch against the Cleveland Indians Vic Wertz in game 1 of the 1954 World Series. In the Spring of 1955, our 5th grade teacher took our class in a school bus to the Polo Grounds to watch the Giants play the St. Louis Cardinals, whose Hall-of-Fame first baseman, Stan Musial was still playing. We arrived an hour before the game and were seated on the third base side while the Giants were still taking batting practice. Mays was positioned in the outfield with some of his teammates leisurely catching fungoes hit by a Giants coach. He was standing in deep centerfield next to a teammate when the Giants coach hit one high in the air. Mays heard the distinctive sound and gave a momentary glance to the ball’s trajectory. He returned his gaze to his Giant’s teammate and simultaneously took three horizontal steps to the right, still engaging his teammate in conversation. Seconds passed. Then Mays took another momentary glance at the descending ball, put his hands behind his back, bent over and caught the ball in a reverse basket catch behind his back. I was stunned. The visual/mental computer in his brain had calculated precisely where the ball was going to land within fractions of a second of its launch. It was almost magical, and I recognized, perhaps for the first time, that there are rare gifts some people possess who we, mere mortals, do not. One can only marvel at those that have been so blessed.
P
Wonderful recollection. May's was also a true gentleman loved by SF.
13 yrs ago l was a Junior Giants coach and took our 10yr old kids to a special event at Oracle Park at 24 Willie May's Plaza. He and Willie McCovey greeted over 200 kids from Junior Giants teams from all over the area. Both Willie's are true Southern Gentlemen and devoted countless hours and events for youth benefits. MLB has lost 2 legends but heaven gained 2 more angels.❤
Saw him in the outfield directing the position of the other two outfielders. They weren't taking direction from their coaches. They were taking it from Mays. He may or may not be the greatest player but he is definitely the smartest.
Willie Mays was the best ballplayer I ever saw.
If he'd of hit in Atlanta where Henry Aaron hit, he'd of had 1000 home runs!!
Jack Vanderpool Amen! Amaysing. MAYS! My favorite player since 1951!GREATEST. EVER !
AMEN!
If he been lefty like ruth he'd have hit 1000 homeruns.
Being from Denver Colorado, I watched Barry Bonds play a zillion times. He hit home runs on the regular. I always wondered if Willie played for the Rockies, he may have downed low flying aircraft 😂
If Hank played in the Polo Grounds instead of Milwaukee, which was a very difficult home run park (Hank hit more homers the road than at home for the years he played there), it would have evened out. Willie hit about the same number of homers on the road as he did at home during his Candlestick years.
When Willie hit 4 Home Runs in one game he was on deck when Jim Davenport grounded out for the game ending out.
He wasn't just a great player: he was a great entertainer.
simply he was the best all around ballplayer of all time. and a great athlete,tremendous inspiration to untold millions of young people, a great credit to the game, and american life....
Please don't put Bonds in the same sentence with Wille.
Bonds is a cheat and a phony, an embarrassment to baseball.
Ahmad2423...If you mean by being selfish, I agree.
You're right. Bonds was a MUCH better player, and his godfather, Willie, would tell you so…..
Was Henry Aaron a cheat? He admitted to using "greenies" in the 70s (amphetamines). Maybe Willie did, too. Lots of players joked about using them back then. It was not considered a big deal. Babe Ruth drank alcohol during prohibition. There was no clear rule against PED use until 2003. Just vague talk about "illegal substances", and they were legal in the Dominican Republic, where all kinds of top players were coming from. Jose Canseco said 80% of the players were using steroids. A certain mets pitcher said 90%….and that the pitchers were using them at a higher rate than the hitters….Teams subtly encouraged their use. Tommy John said the Yankees would not consider him for the following season when he got old unless he "gain 30 pounds of muscle in the offseason!" Bonds won three MVPs WITHOUT steroids, when everyone else was using them! Willie only won two MVPs…although he probably should have won one in 1962, instead of Maury Wills…
My favorite all time athlete. I saw him play and was amazed. Being a Giants fan watching him play he seemed to be on another level! No one today compares to him. RIP my friend.
I watched Mays play growing up. He was my hero. I kept a scrapbook on him., watched him play on TV many times. He moved differently than any other player.... even the way he walked. He swung so hard some times that if he missed the ball the momentum of the bat would almost knock him off his feet and drag him around so he'd be facing the crowd behind the plate. Elegant in the outfield. The greatest ever,
Happy Happy Birthday to the Say Hey Kid! You were the greatest!
I can't even imagine Baseball without Willie. My favorite player, the best of all. One guy told me that AROD was the best player, I told him, Arod is on the bench and might get an at bat here and there.
A-Rod was a gold-glove shortstop who put up offensive numbers that rivalled Willie's. That's what made him unique.
This is one of if not the greatest episode in one of the greatest sports docuseries ever produced in the last 50+years!! RIP Willie Mays!! "Where triples go to die!"
September 16, 2018: Willie, you played the game with heart.....fantastic!
The intros to these Sports Century videos gives me chills before the damn thing actually starts!
One of my first childhood heroes. Man I loved to watch that guy play baseball.
Willie Mays absolutely broke the mold. Never mind best baseball player - one of the finest persons to walk this Earth. He didn’t have this superiority complex that prevented him from connecting to the fans, especially the kids. I love that man.
THANK YOU MR.MAYS FOR YOUR STORY OF STRENGTH AND COURAGE DURING TRYING TIMES.
And the most Under rated greatest that ever lived!! Stops smiles Signed autos in front of his building, always smiling ..God Bless You Mr Mays
Willie Mays is the greatest baseball player of all time. Sometimes overlooked is his throwing arm, Ted Williams is quoted as saying "Willie Mays has the greatest throwing arm I have ever seen".
Actually, Joe DiMaggio said that about Mays, and Joe D surely knew centerfield.
Third best
Ruth is the best.Mays did not break one record,or finish first in any category(offensive) his entire 22 year career.
@@nibiruplanetx784 you don't have to break any records to be considered the best. guy. gthoh
@@brianf481 The hell you say.He did not even finish first in one offensive category.The best players are the ones who break the most records.You GTHOH!
Robinson Cano should take #24 off and give Willie Mays back to New York
Even Robinson Cano can know that he's a Cano, da dat dat we can know
The best there ever was - and the best there ever will be. The Say Hey Kid was like nothing else. Rest In Peace, Willie!
I grew up watching the greatest baseball players of the 1960s : Mays, Mantle and Frank Robinson. There hasn't been anybody anywhere close to these guys since.
@Doug Haak I grew up then too but have you ever heard the name Mike Trout?
djf750 Mike Trout? Not too bad, huh? Isn’t it amazing that he plays in LA, but he’s SO underrated? He needs the publicity, because he’s one of the best players ever.
@@RobJazzful he's actually down in Anaheim (Orange County) with the ALWAYS mediocre LA Angels of Anaheim so he doesn't get the publicity he deserves
Hank Aaron was better than Frank Robinson and at the very least Mantle's equal.
@@djf750 lol gtfoh
I remember watching him play on TV at the end of his career. Even then, nearing 40, he was the best player on the field.
Let's not forget wen that catch was made he was almost 500 feet away from home plate his throwback to Second base was perfect one-hop. Amazing and unbelievable to this day
Happy Happy 90th Birthday Willie Mays! You were one of the best who ever played the game! God Bless You!!!
As a kid, he made the hair stand up on my neck........greatest of all time..? I don't know but god, he was right up there with the greats.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great job putting this all together. By far the BEST video I've viewed on The Say Hey Kid.
RIP Willie.
Willie, happy belated 93rd birthday. The greatest all-around player in baseball history. He could hit, hit for power, run, filed and throw.
Willie Mays got the first hit of the 1973 World Series. He also drove in the go ahead run for the Mets in Game 2....and later scored an additional run in that same inning.
Days before, Willie singled and drove in a run against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 of the NLCS. He also caught a fly ball in CF.
At 66 years old and he has been and still is my hero. From the first time I seen him on television at 9 years old until I met him in person in 1996 in Balley's casino where I was a electrician. The biggest thrill in my life. Willie Mays is and always will be the best that ever played the game. I walked and talked with him and shook his hand, the only thing I asked for was to hear him say....Say Hey, witch he did happily. The biggest hand I have ever seen.
He's my Uncle 🙂🙃😆😁And I'm Proud
If Willie Mays is your uncle you should be proud.... In my eyes he was the greatest and I have idolized him most of my life. The players of this day and age don't even come close... YOUR UNCLE WAS THE BEST...
Thank you! He's pretty close actually he's my pop- pop's/Grandpa's Brother🙂
Your very nice and sweet thx for the support,😉😁
You are very welcome for your appreciation, I was just looking at these comments, nothing but love and admiration, wow! I wish I knew him.
Everything is Jadyn your uncle is a national treasure!
For me, watching Willie Mays was like Richie Cunningham looking up to "The Fonz". He just had that kind of impact on me as a baseball fan. One of my biggest thrills was watching WIllie play against the Montreal Expos on July 1, 1972 at Jarry Park in Montreal. Sometimes, it is GOOD to be old!
Funny how the portrayal of Willie's years with the Mets differs from my youthful recollection. I was so happy we had him that I probably ignored his declining skills. The late 60's and early 70's were a great time to become a baseball fan. I caught some of the all-time greats on their way out-- Banks, Aaron, Mays, McCovey, Frank Robinson, Killebrew, Billy Williams, Kaline and on and on.
William Taylor as a lifelong Dodger fan and total loather of the Giants I have to give Mays his due.
Went to Willie Mays night in 1973 at Shea. He was a ten year old boys hero.
Amazing watch we love you Willie Mays...✌️🤗👍⚾🇺🇸🗽💪...
And with good reason. He is the greatest baseball player of all-time.
This is what makes baseball the greatest sport of all time. Comments can be totally different opinions and at the same time both be right.
lived in NY from 73 to 76... Willie was the best, played with the great Tug, and Jackson, and he still talks about these games like yesterday. Love Willie, 89 yrs old. Oh my gosh, what a time.
Willie Mays IS the greatest baseball player of all time.
Mays by himself no cheating just saying the obvious... moral character got to count for something.
Edward Brito Supposedly Mays liked to use amphetamines.
NkrumahTure I'll have to go wit Bonds...
NkrumahTure micky mantle
I think mays and ken Griffey jr are the best baseball players of all time!
I am so glad I got to see him play in the last years of his career and not just in newsreels!
NY Mets
Say Hey Kid..What a Man indeed...👍👍👏👏🇺🇸🙏🇺🇸
A little bit of Willie Mays lore...for most San Franciscans...listening to Lon Simmons on the radio while at work was how we checked out the Giants. I am not sure you can say the following about any other outfielder that ever played the game...but...when Lon Simmons said there was a drive into center...there was no longer any doubt about that ball being caught because the greatest centerfielder on this planet or on any planet was soon tapping his glove and that was that....
RIP to the Say Hey Kid aka Willie Mays. I never got to you play but I got the highlights
Greatest all-around ballplayer of all time, hands down. According to this film, Dimaggio, Williams, and Koufax all agree. Take their word for it.
I was at Wrigley Field when I first saw Willie Mays. The Cubs' Tony Taylor was on first when Dale Long hit a line drive to center field. The ball was heading for the ivy on the top of the brick wall when Willie ran at the wall, jumped up onto that wall, stuck his spikes into the ivy and launched himself into the air. He grabbed the ball and turned while in the air, landed on one foot and fired the ball to first base where he doubled off Tony Taylor. The ball never bounced but hit the first baseman's glove like a rocket. The crowd was stunned and a great silence hung over the ball park. When Willie stepped into the batter's box he launched a bomb that sailed over the wall and was lost on the street. I've never seen anyone like him. You can promote Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Ken Griffey Jr. or anyone else as the greatest outfielder. The man was the best ballplayer of all time.
Period.
As much a fan of Ted Williams as I am, Willie Mays is the best I ever saw play. I was a centerfielder when I played baseball and I tried...and failed miserably...to play like Willie out there.
No he was not. He was arguably the greatest fielding center fielder, but his hitting is not as impressive as several other players.
Here's a picture of the catch you are talking about, I think. Great catch, but it looks like he didn't put his foot on the wall, since there is no ivy in the place where he catches the ball…..www.pinterest.com/pin/548242954610978115/?lp=true
Robert Allan
To be at that game and see that! Wow!
...a truly beautiful and moving comment; thank you, Robert Allan.
ESPN did a great job with this Sports Century series
Happy 89th Birthday to The aMays'n "Say Hey Kid" also known as "WILLIE HOWARD"... He could RUN, CATCH, THROW, HIT FOR AVERAGE & HIT FOR POWER!!!!!
Hands down, the greatest of all time!
He was the best..... most incredible player that I ever saw......
Willie Mays was the best all-around player ever. He had it all as good as anyone else!
I had the privilege of watching Willie Mays play during his breakout MVP 1954 season,including "the catch."He would subsequently win another MVP Award 11 years later.How "amazin" is that?
One of my earliest memories. I was 4-1/2 yrs old. SF 3, St.L 2. Mays homered. 5/31/61
LEGENDS NEVER DIE !!! REST IN A SEA OF TRANQUILITY WILLY !
NEEDED: MORE VIDEO CLIPS OF WILLIE MAYS PLAYING BALL !!!!