Willie Mays (RIP)
Willie Mays, the “Say Hey” kid passed away on June 18, 2024. He warrants a special tribute. It is a truism that baseball is America’s “National Pastime.” Football aficionados may disagree and the revenue numbers and TV ratings may support their case, but baseball has history, tradition and sentimentality in its corner. The Major Leagues date back to the 1890’s and the game has local, regional and national followings. Comparative statistics debates are never ending and it is unquestioned that baseball has produced more American folk heroes than any other sport. Players of the quality of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Williams, Robinson, Mantle, Koufax and Clemente are cultural symbols with broad appeal. There is a definite hierarchy when evaluating measures of greatness. There are “stars” who flash individual excellence and may lead their teams to championships. There are “superstars” who dominate the sport for long periods and generate sustained team success. Finally, there are “legends”; players who define an era, change the game at its core, bolster its identity and are universally recognised as the elite among the elite. It is a small and distinguished group. Being a Hall of Famer isn’t sufficient. You need to transcend the sport. From my perspective, Willie Mays is a “legend.” He is one of the two or three best baseball players who ever lived. What is the basis for my judgment? Why, of all the players I have watched since 1961, does he merit special recognition. I begin with an anecdote, follow with hard performance related data and conclude with another anecdote.
First impressions are important and Willie’s impact on my baseball psyche commenced in 1962. I was 8 years old. The first game I ever attended in person was the Cubs v Cardinals at Wrigley Field. My Uncle Joe, a Cubs fan, noticed my intense interest in the game and kindly invited me to the game. My cousin Joey was there as well. My memories are vivid. The Cubs lost (no surprise or regrets since I was already committing to the White sox as my team), but I did get to see Stan Musial. Stan was a first ballot Hall of Famer, a natural hitter and smooth as silk in the field. I was already into stats and knew Musial was special. I also began my lifelong habit of keeping a scorecard that day. Uncle Joe got a charge out of my excitement and invited me to another game a month later. The Cubs opponent was the San Francisco Giants. Our seats were great. The Cubs lost again and San Francisco went on to win the National League pennant that year. Two things about that game remain firmly entrenched in my memory bank. First, Willie McCovey, the Giants first baseman was the largest human being I had ever seen- a mountain of a man. Second, Willie Mays appeared in all his glory. He made two incredible catches in the outfield and made it look effortless. I saw the patented Mays “basket catch” for the first time. But, the die was cast for me when he hit a screaming line drive home run over the centre field wall just below the old manual Wrigley scoreboard. The ball left the park in an instant- in a flash. I was stunned. I could not comprehend how a ball could be hit so far and travel so fast in such a short period of time. Willie had me forever with the crack of that bat and at 70, having attended hundreds of games, I can attest his home run that day is still one of the five hardest balls I have ever seen hit. Full disclosure, the others are Mickey Mantle at Comiskey Park, Dick Allen in the early 70’s, Luis Pujols at Wrigley and Sammy Sosa in the early 2000’s. Where has Sammy gone?? Willie’s homer was the first and remains the best!
Willie just didn’t hit for power. He was the original five tool player. The numbers confirm Willie’s pre-eminent place in baseball history. He played 23 seasons- incredible longevity. He was Rookie of the Year in 1951 and was National League MVP twice. He led the league in homers and stolen bases 4 times. He led the league in triples and runs scored three times. He was the FIRST player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in one season. He won 12 consecutive Gold Gloves as a centerfielder. He led the league in outfield putouts 5 times and assists 3 times. He hit 636 home runs over this career. Overall, he is first in games played, first in runs scored, third in home runs, third in RBI’s and 4th in hits. His WAR (Wins above Replacement) is exceeded by only Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. And, he did it with style. Flashy, rocket arm, a glider in centre with incredible range. Also, an affable fellow, popular with his teammates and a true professional who frequently played hurt. He made the All Century Team and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama.
His career does present some intriguing questions on how baseball has changed over the the years. He was non political- similar to Michael Jordan. Jackie Robinson criticised Willie for not being more active in promoting civil rights . The proper role of an athlete in social justice debates continues to be controversial- see the NBA and the Black Lives Matter movement. To me, it is an intensely personal decision and an individual’s judgement on how he can best live his values is up to them. Criticism from the cheap seats is not helpful. Another disturbing trend is the decline of African American players at the Major League level. Willie’s generation featured an abundance of great black ballplayers (Aaron, Robinson, Campanella, Doby, Newcombe, Gibson, Flood, Brock, Stargell, McCovey). A common trait is that many of these men were raised in the Jim Crow south. Baseball, although hardly a bastion of racial enlightenment broke the color line ahead of other major sports. If you were a talented black athlete in that era, baseball was your best bet. Willie, for instance, was a great high school point guard in basketball and quarterback in football. Until, the Civil Rights Movement successes in the 60’s, there were no college available for black basketball or football players. Today, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron would be recruited to play football by Alabama or Georgia. Baseball has been surpassed as the best sports option and black attendance at MLB games is down. 60 years ago Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, Lebron James and Stef Curry would have played baseball. Management and ownership needs to confront this reality. Today, the flow of players is Latinos from Central and South America and the Caribbean rather than from America’s urban centres. No answers from me- just an observation.
We conclude with another family story. In fact, the protagonist is another "Uncle.” My uncle and GODFATHER Rocco DiStasio was a great ballplayer. He played at the Triple A level and attended spring training with the Braves. He spent WWII in Guam with a crew of drafted major leaguers and became friends with Pee Wee Reese and Warren Spahn. He later bonded with Minnie Minoso. After the war, he returned to Chicago and married Aunt Helene, my mom’s older sister. We lived on the same block. He was the family “athlete” and source of all knowledge and wisdom when it came to baseball. After all, he had actually played the game and his natural ability was obvious at family picnic 16 inch softball games, He was also a student of the game. When watching a game on TV, he would call the upcoming pitch and identify the weaknesses of each hitter. He was the family Steve Stone! I loved baseball early, memorised the statistics posted in the Sunday paper and started my own Stratomatic leagues. Uncle Rock appreciated my fascination with the game and showed me the newspaper clippings of his baseball exploits, COOL! At a family holiday barbecue, I shared my rather irritating knowledge of baseball trivia with him and then popped the ultimate question. Uncle Rock- who is the best player of all time? My Uncles Jim, John and Eddie were in the vicinity. Rock thought a bit, rubbed his chin, puffed on his Dutch Masters cigar and said, Billy that is an easy one— Willie Mays is the best player of all time and it is not even close. He can do everything better than everyone else. Wow, my Italian American Uncle didn’t choose DiMaggio. The other uncles, after a suitable moment of reflection agreed. Willie is the best. Uncle Rock went on to say that Ted Williams was the best hitter and Joe DiMaggio the best player in the clutch, but reiterated that Willie Mays was the total package. Who was I to disagree then and there is no reason to challenge that conclusion now. Rest in Peace- Mr Mays.
