Considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time, Willie Mays and his on-field legacy will be remembered for many years to come.
What’s perhaps more remarkable, however, is the way he ingratiated himself with America and inspired future generations of athletes to play the iconic pastime at the highest level.
An Otherworldly Talent
Willie Mays’ baseball talents manifested at an early age. Thanks to the efforts of his father, Willie was able to catch a baseball even before he started walking. By the age of 16, he was already playing professionally in the Negro Southern League. Mays is regarded as one of baseball’s first five-tool players—a special breed of athlete who excels at hitting, power hitting, speed, fielding, and throwing.
Raising the Bar
Willie’s talents translated to over two decades of on-field production and dozens of accolades. To this day, Willie Mays has the second-most all-star game appearances to his name—being voted in during 20 of his 22 career seasons.
Mays also led the league in home runs in four seasons. His offensive firepower was matched by his defensive prowess, causing him to win 12 consecutive Golden Glove awards from 1957–1968.
Breaking Records
Willie also rewrote the baseball record books on a handful of occasions. During the 1955 season, he became the first player to record 50 home runs and 20 stolen bases in the same year. He is also the founder of the 300-300 club—a small group of players who have hit at least 300 home runs and stolen 300 bases across their careers.
A Military Veteran
One of Mays’ more impressive career feats was the fact that he was able to rewrite the record books even after missing nearly two full seasons of baseball. After Mays’ rookie season, he was drafted into the United States Army—initially, to serve in the Korean War—which caused him to miss 266 total games.
World Series Champion
In 1954, the season after he returned from his stint in the Army, Mays captured his first and only World Series with the New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants). During this historic year, he was by far and away his team’s best player—logging 41 home runs and leading the league in batting percentage (.345).
Esteemed by His Peers
Mays was respected by not only fans but also by his peers. Joe DiMaggio, one of Mays’ most well-known contemporaries, said that Mays had the greatest throwing arm in baseball. Roberto Clemente called him, “the greatest ballplayer I’ve ever seen.” Orlando Cepeda, a former teammate, called Mays, “the best player than ever lived.”
A Hall of Fame Career
Mays received the sport’s highest honor when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979—the first year he was eligible. He is the oldest living Hall of Famer today.
An Honored Civilian
Willie Mays’ enormous legacy continues to live on years after his retirement with the New York Mets in 1973. In 2015, President Barack Obama presented Mays with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to baseball and service in the military.
