OT: RIP Willie Mays

[TominNC]

A New York legend. An all time great.

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[Baby Punisher]

Missed seeing him play by 1 year. Not that I would have remembered. My father and Uncle raved about the guy and both are hardcore Yankees fans.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

RIP to one of the greatest ever.

 

[Feel Shame]

Baseball royalty. Belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Center Fielders.

 

[Boris Zubov]

RIP to a legend. Wish I could've seen him play.

Baseball royalty. Belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Center Fielders.

Talent wise he's arguably the best player ever. If he didn't lose time for military service or play the bulk of his career in windy Candelstick, he might've hit 800 HRs.

 

[eco's bones]

My dad was a New York Giants baseball fan. When they moved to San Francisco he pretty much dropped them and afterwards followed the New York Mets starting when they first came into the National League. Mays career started with the New York Giants and ended with the New York Mets. Anyway I have a book which is about the history of the New York Giants baseball team published I believe in the late 50's or early 60's right around I believe the time that the Giants moved to San Francisco which my dad owned which is kind of a keepsake.

The Giants were his team and the Polo Grounds his favorite stadium. The super wealthy owners who move their teams away to more lucrative horizons are really betraying their fanbase or at least if that fanbase has always been there for them through thick and thin. Wealth in and of itself has almost never had any sense of morality though.

Anyway to Mays---he was a tremendous player but also an example of someone who hangs on too long and who goes well past his sell by date. My dad loved him as a young player but fumed at him his last years with the Mets. The relays from Mays to another outfielder (because Mays throwing arm was shot) so as to get the ball back to the infield would drive him crazy. Singles were turning into doubles and doubles into triples. As a Yankee fan back then his anger about that was very much a source of amusement to me. Growing up in the 60's though that's what I remember most about Mays.....the tail end of his career. We kind of went through some of the same things with Messier and Lindros both banged up towards the ends of their respective careers and more and more perimeter players. Both should have retired before some years before they actually did.

 

[ElLeetch]

My dad was a New York Giants baseball fan. When they moved to San Francisco he pretty much dropped them and afterwards followed the New York Mets starting when they first came into the National League. Mays career started with the New York Giants and ended with the New York Mets. Anyway I have a book which is about the history of the New York Giants baseball team published I believe in the late 50's or early 60's right around I believe the time that the Giants moved to San Francisco which my dad owned which is kind of a keepsake.

The Giants were his team and the Polo Grounds his favorite stadium. The super wealthy owners who move their teams away to more lucrative horizons are really betraying their fanbase or at least if that fanbase has always been there for them through thick and thin. Wealth in and of itself has almost never had any sense of morality though.

Anyway to Mays---he was a tremendous player but also an example of someone who hangs on too long and who goes well past his sell by date. My dad loved him as a young player but fumed at him his last years with the Mets. The relays from Mays to another outfielder (because Mays throwing arm was shot) so as to get the ball back to the infield would drive him crazy. Singles were turning into doubles and doubles into triples. As a Yankee fan back then his anger about that was very much a source of amusement to me. Growing up in the 60's though that's what I remember most about Mays.....the tail end of his career. We kind of went through some of the same things with Messier and Lindros both banged up towards the ends of their respective careers and more and more perimeter players. Both should have retired before some years before they actually did.

I simply cannot imagine that happening to todays game. No team, no matter the situation, would allow that to occur.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Man I had no idea he was still alive, I just assumed he died years ago.

One of the canonical sports legends of the 20th century

 

[bobbop]

The greatest baseball player I ever saw. Period.

Personal highlight — saw Willie hit #605 & #606 at Shea on May 8, 1970 with my future wife.

Addendum — May 8, 1970 was also the night The Knicks beat the Lakers for their first championship. (It was also Senior prom weekend)

 

[majordomo]

My dad was a New York Giants baseball fan. When they moved to San Francisco he pretty much dropped them and afterwards followed the New York Mets starting when they first came into the National League. Mays career started with the New York Giants and ended with the New York Mets. Anyway I have a book which is about the history of the New York Giants baseball team published I believe in the late 50's or early 60's right around I believe the time that the Giants moved to San Francisco which my dad owned which is kind of a keepsake.

The Giants were his team and the Polo Grounds his favorite stadium. The super wealthy owners who move their teams away to more lucrative horizons are really betraying their fanbase or at least if that fanbase has always been there for them through thick and thin. Wealth in and of itself has almost never had any sense of morality though.

Anyway to Mays---he was a tremendous player but also an example of someone who hangs on too long and who goes well past his sell by date. My dad loved him as a young player but fumed at him his last years with the Mets. The relays from Mays to another outfielder (because Mays throwing arm was shot) so as to get the ball back to the infield would drive him crazy. Singles were turning into doubles and doubles into triples. As a Yankee fan back then his anger about that was very much a source of amusement to me. Growing up in the 60's though that's what I remember most about Mays.....the tail end of his career. We kind of went through some of the same things with Messier and Lindros both banged up towards the ends of their respective careers and more and more perimeter players. Both should have retired before some years before they actually did.

I always felt Mays hung on because he wanted to finish his career in NY......also, Joan Payson (who regretfully NEVER gets any credit from the NY Mets organization -- still think Citi Field should have been called Payson Park) was granted the new NL franchise, she promised Willie that she would do everything she could to bring him back -- and she kept her word.

 

[chosen]

I simply cannot imagine that happening to todays game. No team, no matter the situation, would allow that to occur.

I've watched every single baseball team tolerate players not even attempting to play hard. Back then, that wouldn't have been tolerated. I'd rather have a guy trying than collecting millions and turning triples into singles.

Manny Ramirez took it one step farther by not even chasing after fly balls and dropping some on purpose.

 

[HFBS]

This is the play that I will always remember Willie Mays for. I was watching this game live (on TV) when I was a kid. I don't remember who the Giants were playing, whether it was a Mets or national telecast. Mays and Bobby Bonds both went for a fly ball near the fence at Candlestick Park. They crashed into each other, Mays was knocked out cold, and still caught the ball.