1 of 11. ES. The pitcher, future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, quipped, "I'll never forgive myself. How comprehensive is our World Series data? Willie Aikens Stats. Willie Mays Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac. Baseball Almanac presents The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players in our comprehensive Legendary Lists section. Stats. Rule Changes Probable Pitchers Starting Lineups . Copyright 1999- The Giants catching conundrum is getting more complicated, 2023 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List No. Willie Mays 1971 Game by Game Batting Logs - Baseball Almanac 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! For most, the 73 playoffs are bitterly remembered. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 2) A game to remember: Four-homer barrageMays is one of just 18 players in Major League history to hit four home runs in a single game. . Rookie Status: Cut back to Mays standing on first with his helmet gone, somehow losing it on a guaranteed single to left. Baseball is a game, yes. - Baseball Almanac, In Chronological Order / Willie Mays Stats, Willie Mays 1971 Game by Game Batting Logs. "Do you have a favorite quote from or about this particular Major League Baseball player that you would like to see here? "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. 2019 Topps Update 150 Years of Baseball Black #15077 Willie Mays - NM-MT Baseball Almanac. Who did it? Willie howard mays.The couple adopted a five-day-old baby named Michael in 1959. I wanted Willie Mays to be perfect, but he just wasnt. - Sportswriter Harry Jupiter in The San Francisco Chronicle [Willie Mays Quotes], Willie Mays Career Home Runs | Research by Baseball Almanac. copyright=new Date(); He just wanted, maybe needed, to be around the game. 7th inning (65), Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. on HBO and HBO Max (9 p.m. It took 41 years for another player to repeat that type of production, and only three others -- Brady Anderson (1996), Ken Griffey Jr. ('98) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) -- have accomplished the feat to this day. -. Year Team League; 1951: New York Giants: NL: Facing the Mets in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium on May 31, 1964, Mays shifted from center field to shortstop to begin the bottom of the 10th inning. Over 66 games, Mays batted .211 with .646 OPS. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. 1959 San Francisco Giants season - Wikipedia They throw the ball, I hit it. Still, Mays started 14 straight All-Star contests from 1957-65 (including both games in each season from 1959-62). Career; 1977 . Photo by Magali Gauthier. Perhaps most amazingly, Mays' numbers would have been even more remarkable had he not missed nearly two full seasons in the prime of his career while serving in the military. The All-Star label/link in the final section only shows whether or not Willie Mays was an All-Star during the season where he appeared in the World Series (Dash=Not an All-Star | Stats=An All-Star and the link leads to the All-Star Game). Javascript is required for the selection of a player. 11) Mays and Trout in class of their ownMike Trout has often drawn comparisons to Mays due to the pair's consistency and dominance in center field -- and the two stand alone as the only players in Major League history with multiple seasons of at least a .320 batting average, 25 home runs and 30 stolen bases. [Answer], 1979 - Willie Mays was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, on his first ballot, with 94.7% of the votes. "I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw." update=copyright.getFullYear(); Share your opinion with us on Baseball Fever. update=copyright.getFullYear(); He won a batting title, four home run titles and four stolen base titles. 19) Three is good, four is betterOf the 28 players in the 500-home run club, none hit as many triples as Mays' 140. Listed below are the players chosen by The Sporting News as Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. You can see stats, World Series, awards and more. Willie Mays - Stats - Batting | FanGraphs Baseball He was an All-Star in each of those seasons and was the National League MVP in 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)})(); Did you know that Willie Aikens is the only player in baseball history to hit a home run in a World Series game (October 14, 1980) on his birthday? baseball players first names that start with r. February 26, 2023 . "No one will ever know the athlete (Willie) Aikens could've been, what was already slipping away on that mid-October night in 1980 when, after he hit his fourth homer of the World Series against the Phillies in Game 4, he left the ballpark and celebrated by snorting a few lines of cocaine. The next pitch comes quick and angry. Do you like the existing playoff format? copyright=new Date(); As a player, Willie Mays could never be captured by mere statistics." Mays, of course, exceeded some of those plateaus rather easily, finishing with 3,283 hits, 660 homers and 338 steals. Retrieved March 27, 2013. ", 2007 - Willie Mays was selected as one-of-three outfielders on the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team. 4th inning (67), Willie Mays - American Legends Willie Mays is shown "the key" to the Willie Mays Ballpark by Bob Hellman before the opening ceremony for the Homer Field Willie Mays Ballpark on May 9, 2015. Aikens was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 17, 1977, with the California Angels. What are your feelings about this particular list? Throughout most of 1952-53 Mays served in the Army, when he returned in 1954 he led the league with his batting average, home runs, and total runs. The Willie Mays World Series stats seen below include his World Series year-by-year hitting stats, World Series fielding stats, and World Series pitching stats (where applicable). Negro League data is not complete. 1973 National League All-Star. Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Willie Mays. nicknames for baseball bats These type of numbers / leaderboard appearances continued on across his career prompting Hall of Famer Leo Durocher Mays first skipper in the big leagues to say in Nice Guys Finish Last (Chicago Press, 09/15/2009, Page 385), "If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases, and performed a miracle in the field every day, I'd still look you right in the eye and tell you that Willie was better. a privately run / non-commercial site in need of financial assistance. document.write(update); 24 - Willie Mays was an All-Star twenty-four times, tied with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial for the most in baseball history, prompting Ted Williams to say, "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays.". #DeDollarization #USDollar #Dollar #GeoPolitics Now get regular updates on , Still, he finished with 36 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1956, then followed it up with 35 homers and 38 steals in '57. 2023 Topps '88 Topps Blue #T8812 Willie Mays - Check out your favorite player cards listed in Beckett Marketplace. International Television & Video Almanac 1995 Springer All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Did not play in major or minor leagues (Military Service). This player does not have splits available for some years. He helped lead the Mets to the World Series in 1973 and 1976, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. Willie Aikens was born on Thursday, October 14, 1954, in Seneca, South Carolina. It's no surprise that Mays received annual MVP consideration during that run, recording at least 70 extra-base hits in 13 straight seasons from 1954-66. Over 66 games, Mays batted .211 with .646 OPS. Willie Mays Rookie Card | 1951 Bowman Baseball Card (#305 | Checklist)Baseball Almanac Collection. Notes: The Date / Box field has a link Willie Mays appeared in 136 Major League games during All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Stats. The caveat to that number is that it includes four seasons (1959-62) in which there were two All-Star Games. Copyright 1999- 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. . He also led the NL five times apiece in OPS and slugging percentage; three times in triples; twice each in runs, extra-base hits and on-base percentage; and once apiece in hits and walks. biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, detailed fielding All major league baseball data including pitch type . That final year as a . - Willie Mays. update=copyright.getFullYear(); 9) Golden defenseAlong with being one of the game's most prolific hitters, Mays is widely regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders of all-time. The rest of the outfielders in MLB history have combined for exactly one such season (Trout, 2012). Prior to 1969, the pennant winner was determined by the best won-loss record at the end of the regular season. Willie Mays Stats, Fantasy & News. He has impressive stats with 660 home runs and over 3,000 hits in his 22-season MLB career. Still, it's hard not to wonder what he might have done with an extra 1,000 plate appearances in the early days of his career. Giants legend Willie Mays is among the players whose stats from the Negro Leagues will now be added to his MLB numbers. The Willie Mays All-Star stats seen below include his All-Star year-by-year hitting stats, All-Star fielding stats, and All-Star pitching stats (where applicable). Willie Mays. Children's Book-a-Day Almanac - Anita Silvey 2012-10-30 Part fun- and information-lled almanac, part good book guide, the Children's Book-a-Day Almanac is a new way to discover a great children's book--every day of the year! Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Fairfield Industrial High School (Fairfield, AL), Willie Mays League Championship Series Stats by Baseball Almanac. documentary. The New York Mets retired Willie Mayss number 24 last Saturday. PDF Hank Aaron Brave In Every Way | Dev.pulitzercenter making a donation to Baseball Almanac : Baseball legend Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama. Baseball DN Archives: 'Baseball's greatest is still a young kid' 1-on-1 with Willie Mays as baseball legend turns 50 Mayss last professional at-bat came in Game 3 as a pinch hitter for Tug McGraw in the 10th in a 2-2 tie. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Willie Mays doc premieres on HBO, HBO Max - mlb.com The thud didn't really come until Dec. 12, 1994, when he stood before U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple on federal drug and firearms charges." Mays was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 25, 1951, with the New York Giants. - 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 All-Star Miscellaneous Items of Interest. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. MLB Comparisons is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB, MLB.com or any teams . 27 Willie Mays Baseball Cards You Need To Own The decision was 50 years in the making: a promise initially made by Mets owner Joan Payson to entice Mays to come back to New York in the twilight of his career. 'And I said to myself, 'Wow, he's on top of the world right now, but he's going to fall.'' copyright=new Date(); Do you dislike it? The World Series label/link in the final section only shows whether or not Willie Mays was in the World Series during the season where he appeared in the All-Star Game (Dash=Not in the Series | Stats=In the Series and the link leads to the World Series Game). "Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars" is his revealing, humorous memoir. Birth Year: 1931. Youth. nicknames for baseball batsmary calderon quintanilla 27 februari, 2023 . The highest civilian award in the United States had previously been bestowed to only eleven big league ballplayers! Willie Aikens Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. 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. During his time in professional baseball, he came to the plate 12,545 times and came . More about data coverage. There was no disillusionment that he could still play like he did in 65 or 54but he still looked trim in a uniform and could still pull a single through the 5.5 hole and rounding first still brought him joy. 'He was in total denial,' says Aikens' former agent, Ron Shapiro, who eventually had him admitted to a drug treatment program. Willie Mays Career Stats | StatMuse 1971 hitting statistics. Negro League player stats include league games, interleague games (against major Negro League competition), and games against select top-level independent Black Baseball teams. The total success rate of Willie Mays is about 76.7 percent. When Willie Mays joined the New York Giants in 1951, black players were still a rarity in the major leagues. He hit 56 of his 660 career homers off Hall of Famers, including 18 against Spahn, 13 against Drysdale, five against Sandy Koufax and four apiece against Robin Roberts and Fergie Jenkins. 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. - Merrill, Elizabeth. 1961 San Francisco Giants season - Wikipedia 1973 New York Mets. Willie Mays to be honored in naming of new - | Almanac Online Batting. 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)})(); Did you know that in the Willie Mays Miscellaneous World Series Items of Interest section seen above you can click the Stats link under the World Series label and a truly comprehensive history of that World Series will appear on your screen? copyright=new Date(); He had a .302 career average with 335 homers while playing at home, and a .301 career mark with 325 home runs on the road. Willie Mays World Series Stats by Baseball Almanac He's a member of the 3,000-hit club. Willie Mays hit 660 home runs during his career, 335 while playing at home, 325 while on the road. Mays accomplished the feat in 1957, when he racked up 26 doubles, 20 triples, 35 homers and 38 stolen bases. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. A not-so-subtle ceremony to nudge the old man out the door. (Age 42-126d) Mays faced 14 Hall of Fame pitchers overall, posting a .286 batting average and an .859 OPS over 1,319 plate appearances. Willie Mays Stats by Baseball Almanac. He was the first player in MLB history with multiple 35-35 seasons, though he's since been joined by Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds and Alfonso Soriano. 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 . Main Menu. Willie Mays. Catcher Ray Fosse flinches, about to send the pitch around the horn, but its called a ball. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Hank Aaron, Willie Mays were friends, perhaps nearly teammates - MLB.com update=copyright.getFullYear(); Ways scored a total of 51 home runs in the national league. Register Batting. The first baseman cracks a joke, Mays smiles andamazinglystrokes the tip of Tenaces mustache. Willie Mays in a blue-and-orange is always a fun double-take. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. The tiny failures of the flesh, the prolonged but steady collapse: deaths dominoes. An additional season along those lines in '53 could have been all Mays needed to lay claim to the highest WAR in Major League Baseball history. Mays homered off 266 different pitchers during his career, connected most often while batting third in the lineup, and drove in 1038 . Though his tenure with the Mets have been much maligned, his first 69 games with the 72 club were actually pretty serviceable for a 41 year old. Oracle; Willie Aikens page at the Bullpen Wiki; Minor, Winter & Mexican Lg Stats; Splits. An excerpt from the write-up included this tidbit, "According to Sam Levy of the Milwaukee Journal (Baseball Digest, June, 1955), the Braves began scouting Willie Mays when he was fifteen years old. 7 - Willie Mays was the seventh team captain in Giants franchise history, serving from 1961 through 1972. If you find this type of "free" data useful please consider 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. This player does not have game logs available for some years. (Age 20-019d) 24 amazing Willie Mays stats and facts. See coverage note. Baseball history in 1985 American League by Baseball Almanac - a walk through the 1985 American League season with stats, top 25, final standings, rosters and other baseball history. Mays accomplished the feat in 1957, when he racked up 26 doubles, 20 triples, 35 homers and 38 stolen bases. 12-15-2014, 03:24 PM. 24's legendary career. In the box, through the fuzz of blown out colors and poor quality retention, Mays looks like he did in his prime. Willie Mays - Stats, Catch & Age - Biography We have box scores from every World Series game in history, line scores, Series rosters, composite team stats, trivia, a sample program, and a detailed written account of the actual Fall Classic. Top-10 ranked statistics are highlighted in gray. Willie Mays Minor Leagues Statistics | Baseball-Reference.com Willie Mays | Academy of Achievement the Position(s) column. Willie was young (21-22), but he had hit 20 HRs in . He dropped the cross three times, didn't he? Stats. Then, as if he knows the inevitability of whats coming next, he looks up into the sun. Copyright 1999- During his many seasons, he played for the New York Mets, the New York Giants, and the San Francisco Giants. making a donation to Baseball Almanac : He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw and field. In a 1-2 count, he takes a fastball from As starter Ken Holtzman that teases the outside of the plate. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. 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. As a player, Willie Mays could never be captured by mere statistics." "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. Visit the main page for Willie Mays for his comprehensive regular season statistics and All-Star data. Willie Mays weighed 170 lbs (77 kg) when playing. Infamous stumbles while losing fly balls in the sun (though the Oakland sunshine was just as troublesome for As outfielders) during Game 2 of the World Series poisoned the well and primed reporters and historians for belletristic writings on a painful denouement to a legendary career. Directed by Nelson George, the documentary features black-and-white and color footage of Mays' career from the MLB archives, plus interviews . Odds & lines subject to change. Grays Sports Almanac Firebase - antigo.belavista.go.gov.br Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Age: 91. document.write(update); 10) Best vs. best: Mays tees off vs. HOFersThe two pitchers Mays faced the most (by far) in his career were a pair of Hall of Famers: Warren Spahn (253 plate appearances) and Don Drysdale (243 PAs). 660 - Willie Mays finished his career with 660 home runs, third most in big league history (behind Hank Aaron & Babe Ruth) at the time of his retirement. As a player, Willie Mays could never be captured by mere statistics." Willie howard mays. Willie Mays Historical Marker. 2022-11-16 Keep in mind, he also averaged "only" 21 homers and 70 RBIs over his final five seasons with the Giants. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. History All-Star Game; A.L.C.S. Skip to content. Stats. for all stats, uniform numbers worn, salary data and other factual If the Date is followed by an asterisk (*), Mays started during that game at the first position listed in And he had the other magic ingredient that turns a superstar into a super-superstar. I catch fly balls." Actually, Willie Mays did both. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. It was actually Bud Harrelson who was nabbed trying to score on a fly out to left in the 10th. Willie Mays All-Star Stats by Baseball Almanac. His OPS+ was below league average for the first time in his career. When scouts described young Willie Mays, they mentioned his . Stats. 22 24 24 +2. Willie Mays Stats . Willie Mays 1971 Game by Game Batting Logs. Willie Mays: All-Star And MVP | Tbones Baseball 16) Ranking among the best. Willie Mays vs Roberto Clemente Comparison - MLB Comparisons Yet neither could find an answer for Mays' prowess at the plate. Awards; Ballparks; College Baseball . Gaps In The Road. to the box score from the game being described. Its a gut-punch watching someone great flail at breaking balls and lose routine fly balls in the sun. New York Daily News columnist Dick Young wrote about the 23 votes who chose not to enshrine Mays, "If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old baseball glove, some guys wouldn't vote for him. His .407 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage that season are the highest among any of the four players in this exclusive group. "No record book reflects this kind of concentration, determination, perseverance or ability. (10,378th in major league history), AL/NL Debut: Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. copyright=new Date(); 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. Birth date: May 6, 1931. The chart below is a comprehensive analysis of the games Mays appeared in, specifically relating to his 1971 hitting statistics. The 569 . Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Aikens tumbled -- into jail on cocaine charges in 1983, and out of the major leagues two years later. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. Mays played for the Mets for six seasons, from 1972 to 1977. Copyright 1999- By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. The Sporting News is nothing short of the most respected and legendary magazine / newspaper in sports history. . [The Oldest Living Major League Baseball Players]. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Last-Modified: February 5, 2023 3:00 AM EST, The Oldest Living Major League Baseball Players, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Awards, Most Seasons With XX Home Runs Record Book, Fairfield Industrial High School (Fairfield, AL). Prospect Rankings Depth Charts MLB Players Association Negro Leagues. 3rd inning (82), Play Ball Youth Baseball & Softball. He welcomes Thomson home, elated, relieved, knowing that hed get his turns at-bat with a promising future ahead of him. Stats. The Giants will face off against Bruce Bochys Rangers today in Cactus League action. Skip to primary navigation; . View More Videos. Willie Mays hit 660 home runs during his career, 335 while playing at home, 325 while on the road. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advanced to the World Series. #1 rank is in light green. copyright=new Date(); On Thursday, the Say Hey Kid gets to add another one: He turns 90 years . Mays was the model of consistency from 1954-66, stringing together a 13-season run of pure excellence. Born: All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Dave Kingman. Please consider purchasing this great coffee table book through our Amazon links. 2019 Topps Update 150 Years of Baseball Black #15077 Willie Mays - Check out your favorite player cards listed in Beckett Marketplace. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. 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. Willie howard mays. Willie Howard Mays Jr. 2022-11-08 (PREMIUM setting) national baseball hall of fame almanac Full Book We might have gotten rid of Willie forever if I'd only struck him out.". 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. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Best Known For: One of the greatest baseball . Willie Mays appeared in 136 Major League games during the 1971 regular season. No other player has 13 such seasons, consecutive or otherwise, in Major League history. This fresh, inventive reference book is a dynamic way to showcase the gems, both new and old, of children's literature. An iconic moment in World Series history where Mays made an over-the-shoulder running grab in deep center of the Polo Grounds of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz during the eighth inning of Game 1. Willie Mays, San . Do you have a sports website? The photograph became the poster image of his final year: a hero leveled, half-buried in the ruins of his career, helpless and begging. Willie Mays is a former professional American baseball center fielder.