Mays felt slighted and confused. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Willie was a beloved figure by now. Willie McCovey, the Hall of Fame first baseman and the first universally popular San Francisco Giant, died at age 80 on Wednesday at Stanford Hospital after a long history of health issues. Their average yearly salary was about $65,000, approximately half a million in todays dollars. August 27, 2022 at 3:37 p.m. Race was a factor; many African Americans could go back to their neighborhoods and hide from the white sports media that ruled that day. Eleven years later, across the bay in Oakland, Mays had another chance to come up as the potential final out of a World Series Game 7, this time as a member of the Mets against the As. Dorothy Kilgallen, the columnist and game-show panelist, once asked Willie Mays on Whats My Line? Competition was swift and the owners sought new ways to attract customers. or Best Offer. The memorabilia industry was just getting started, and it would take almost a decade of autograph signings for them to see real cash. Willie Mays Stats by Baseball Almanac. Thirty-one years later, at Seals Stadium, Mays dutifully posed for a photograph with the 71-year-old Cobb, and shook the hand that shook the hands of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, linking the Model T and the iPhone 4: thats Ford to Cobb to Mays to Jobs if youre scoring at home. If you subscribe to the theory that Willie Mays was the greatest baseball player who ever lived, consider Say Hey, Willie Mays! additional ammunition for bar arguments, as well as a whole lot of fun. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2d8aa5bcddf26d Why is life worth living? Allens character, screenwriter Isaac Davis, asks in the 1979 film Manhattan. He brought a certain joy and whimsy to the game of baseball, which during Mays' heyday in the mid-20th century was the dominant sport in America. Ben Margot/Associated Press. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Though, he is 5 9 in feet and inches and 180cm in Centimetres tall, he weighs about 180lbs in Pound and 82kg in Kilograms. So they had a steady income. Matty Alou was running from first and stopped at third, setting up McCoveys game-ending liner. Let Reggie Jackson help: It was like watching Steph Curry warm up, or seeing the . Baseball's oldest living Hall of Famer, Willie Mays, will be the subject of a new HBO production expected to premiere . And right along with bagels, pizza, Sophia Loren and Charles de Gaulle is this line: What do you do about Willie Mays., For Joe Henry, it was tantamount to asking about the soul of the country this frightful and this angry land. Released in 2007, Our Song is a meditation on a lost America that opens in his imagination with Willie Mays and his wife looking to buy garage door springs at a Home Depot in Scottsdale, Arizona. Perhaps Elvis was the Willie Mays of rock and roll, though the rock musician George Thorogood thought that honor belonged to Chuck Berry: He had it all covered. He doesnt have access to all the players and the people for that taste of baseball, which he just lives for.. Say Hey, Willie's Turning 90! Though he finally seems to have achieved some measure of financial stability. By 1966, touring had physically imperiled the band, whose crowds had grown terrifyingly large200,000 lined the streets in Adelaide, Australia, in 64and dangerous. It is there that you really appreciate the great job that Mays did there in center field. Frank Malzone of the Boston Red Sox vainly swept with his glove as Willie Mays stole third base in the 1960 All-Star Game. Mays made his MLB debut with the Giants at 20 years old in 1951, winning NL Rookie of the Year. Mays never comes across as bitter, even though he was also discounted as a young player despite talent that colorblind scouting could not possibly have overlooked. 2023 Cable News Network. In the middle of the 20th century, baseball was king and they were its princes. He is the oldest living Hall of Famer now. Theres plenty to choose from. In this Sept. 29, 1954, file photo, New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays, running at top speed with his back to the plate, gets under a 450-foot blast off the bat of Cleveland Indians first . In 1958, after the Giants had left New York for San Francisco, an old man approached Mays during . Associated Press. Their careers are inextricably linked. Setting that aside, Say Hey, Willie Mays! is the kind of treat to help tide over baseball fans through the post-season, giving Mays his due while hes still around to take a bow. The San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays steals third during the All-Star Game, at Yankee Stadium in New York, July 13, 1960. Like most players at their end of their careers, they faced new challenges brought on by poor planning. Mays was at Candlestick Park that day. On the contrary, singers and other artists wanted what Mays had. His last place in NYC did very well. ET on HBO, which, like CNN, is a unit of Warner Bros. He is never seen with a glass or a chorus girl in his hand. Matty slowed down when he got to third. For in the world of the Harlem Negro, playing for the Giants, [or] being Bojangles Robinson, the great tap dancer, or Sugar Ray [Robinson] is a tangible and undeniable proof of proficiency in the hard world of sport and entertainment, where no holds are barred and merit alone counts.. This was a huge decision, one that was kept quiet for months. On Mays' 90th, memories of the 'magic man'. President Barack Obama with Mays, left, and Giants General Manager Brian Sabean, right, during a White House celebration of the Giants victory in the 2010 World Series. Talk-show host Merv Griffin, his joined palms turned upward, like a thirsty man waiting for rain, once told Mays: I think Allstate stole that from you. But the good hands insurance logo predated Mayss basket-catching ways, though just barely. In 1979, Rosen became Ballys Executive Vice President after resigning from the Yankees. Mays began his career with the then-New York Giants in 1951, and spent 15 seasons with the . Mays, in his prime, was a hedge against mortality. Mantle was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1974, Mays in 1979. He became especially tough on gambling, following the precedent set 60 years ago when the biggest gambling scandal of all time shook the nation. When dad stopped, Willie cried. September 29, 2022 8:00am. So lets not credit Mays with more than he earned. Some of the biggest names in Bay Area sports history were there, including former Giant Barry . But the possible answers are not infinite. Through all their ups and downs, both Mae and Pamela have stayed with their husbands. (King County Library ProQuest Historical Newspapers), Durso, Joseph. I wondered why would a guy like Willie Mays have to shill for some two-bit car dealer, etc. Moving west did not help Mays insecurities, as he never felt accepted in Joe DiMaggios hometown. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. It was the only explanation. Willie took a job with the Mets as a part-time coach and goodwill ambassador. Mays, in pajamas, was serenaded at his apartment window by the singer Steve Lawrence, and then chatted via telephone, on split-screen, with the host. [Jerry] was so fed up with people wanting something from him, McNally told author Linda Kelly for her book Deadheads, that the idea that somebody didnt give a s--- who he was absolutely made his day.. Mays was also the National League home run leader in 1955, 1962, 1964, and 1965, and he was the National League stolen base leader for four seasons in a row from 1956-1959. As Mays settled into his role of glad-handing, Mickey was performing the same duties but for a variety of corporations, including a large bank based in Dallas. His poor performance was compounded by a bad relationship with manager Yogi Berra, his one-time World Series rival. Barnum and Charlie Chan. Willie Mays played 23 seasons. 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. His fingers writhe around each other like a knot of snakes and the viewer . Sign up and get high school sports news and scores in your inbox from preseason through the championships. I kick myself, Mays says in the book. I contend Mays is the best that has ever been, not including pitchers, because I think pitching is its own thing and it's like apples and oranges. Mays turns 90 on Thursday. After working for Caesars in Las Vegas, in 1978 he was hired as Yankees President. Willie Mays died today. For ballplayers, it was a privilege to bask in his reflected blaze, and see how their best measured up to his. Bowies Ruling on Willie and Ballys, New York Times, October 28, 1979. Was he ever. But a few artists did have the hubris. With San Francisco trailing by 1-0 and the Yankees Ralph Terry on the mound, Mays lashed a double to right that slowed on the wet grass. Perhaps it is fitting that when Jordan tried to be a professional baseball player, he played for the Birmingham Barons in 1994. But Game 7 of the 1962 World Series will do. Net Worth in 2023: $4 Million. One of the players looking to defend himself from charges claimed a double standard. The Say Hey Kid is currently the oldest living Hall of . I just saw him running home rather than running to second.. He met a sad end from liver cancer in 1995, having received a controversial liver transplant a couple of months before his death. The premium cabler has set a Nov. 8 airdate . He is an actor, known for About Last Night (2014), The Donna Reed Show (1958) and The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950). Yet fame can destroy. His second wife Mae had a huge influence on Willie's philanthropic work, inspiring him to open the "Say Hey Foundation" that helped underprivileged children by providing education and community support. While the amount varied from year to year, Mantles average winning share for the seven Series wins was just over $8,000, about $73,000 in todays dollars. Don't have a commenting profile? Willie still resides in northern California, remaining active with public appearances at MLB games and civic events, finally receiving the accolades he was denied at the end of his playing career. Fogerty grew up in San Francisco, his father a Joe DiMaggio fan. I saw both play in person (Griffey more than Bonds). Darren: Sam, isnt that Willie Mays? But see, I never recall . That should have set them up for life. Willie imploring the umpire during the '73 Series. Those interviewed include Mays godson, Barry Bonds, and note that Mays played a pivotal role in bringing him to the Giants in 1993. But the Commissioner was firm; any player taking a casino could not hold a job in Major League Baseball. The Mets have retired No. Winners received $2,000 while the loser got $1,000. I couldve gone to Yogi and said, Ive got to pinch-hit, man. I think he wouldve said, OK, go ahead and pinch-hit. I think thats what he would have said, because we had that type of relationship. Out of the shower comes the football man, with a bottle of oil in his hand, Dylan sang in I Shall Be Free in 1964. Mays played in the National League (NL) between 1951 and 1973 for the New York/San Francisco . '13 Reasons Why's Sosie Bacon Flashed Ring - Kevin Bacon's Daughter's Hands Showed Syndrome She May Have, Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin Are Uncoupling Goals as She Calls Him Sweetest Father in Birthday Post, Gulliver Lewis Had an Old-fashioned Upbringing - Facts about Damian Lewis' Son, Bruce Willis' 'Big Gang of Women' Stands by Him amid His Aphasia Diagnosis His Blended Family, Samuel L Jackson & Wife Are Married for 41 Years & 'Still Love Each Other' Though They Took 10 Years to Wed, Bruce Willis Still Loved Demi Moore after Marrying Wife of 12 Years Who Became a Close Friend of the Actress. Major League Baseball legend Willie Mays lost his 2nd wife of more than four decades to Alzheimer's Disease back in 2013. He also interviewed opponents, historians, current stars like the Angels Mike Trout and the former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. John Shea. He contacted Mays attorney. Willie Mays was born in Westfield, AL. The coolest thing in the world happened before Saturday's Giants . As we wait, Mayss life story makes a compelling quarantine read. The baseball veteran is a role model for many aspiring baseball players all around the world. . He wasnt banning Willie from taking the casino job, just from holding a position in MLB simultaneously. Willie Mays represents so much, for so many.. Greasy kid stuff. Durocher came to see if his center fielder was okay, Mays said, and Jackie came to see if I caught the ball.. Most of his job duties would be social: special events, greeter, and golfing with high rollers. May 5, 2022 Updated: May 5, 2022 6:48 p.m. Willie Mays took a spin around Oracle Park in May 2021 as the . What illness does Willie Mays suffer from? MLB has quite a number of inspiring love stories to look up to. Upon getting back to New York, he huddled in his Bronx apartment with his second wife Mae and attorney Steve Lindemann. With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. What startles me is the swiftness with which another year has rolled around. Baseball is his whole outlet, his way to express himself, said John Shea, co-author of Mayss new book, 24: Life Stories and Lessons From the Say Hey Kid and a longtime baseball writer for The San Francisco Chronicle. Mays immediately dazzled fans and was widely accepted by White America, so much so that director Nelson George can incorporate amusing clips of his incongruous appearances on sitcoms like Donna Reeds show. Name: Willie Mays. Each week, it had two Major League stars try to out duel the other in home runs. Iconic photo of Mickey tossing his helmet in disgust in '65 (Maris is on deck). Can't be an Oklahoman without knowing about Mantle. Cary Grant retired so he didnt have to watch himself get older on the screen. Alou, wary of Roger Maris arm in right, screeches to a stop at third. A tribute to former NY Met Willie Mays before the Old Timers Day ball game at Citi Field in Flushing, N.Y., on . 1954 - During the World Series, Mays makes an over-the-shoulder catch that is considered one of the most memorable moments in baseball history. . Amazing what you can find on youtube. Vernard Adams, the Hillsborough County, Florida medical examiner, reported that Mays had hypertensive heart disease and that heart disease was most likely the cause of his death following the first autopsy on June 29, 2009. In Game 3, he pinch hit, and that was his last ever appearance in a game. Cat's wife, Anna (Sattlewhite) Mays, was a high-school . There were still large walls between the communities. . Despite seeming to have it all, the truth was somewhat different. Mays did no such thing. There they stood, Willie Mays and Steve Jobs, Say Hey and Hey Siri, alongside the sons of Jonas Salk and John Wayne. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Learn more. As the 1970s were ending, Willie and Mickey remained friends. Willie Mays was elected into the Hall of Fame . He won two National League MVP awards, ended his career with 660 home runs, and won a record-tying 12 Gold Glove awards. This covered anyone employed by a team (except owners). So many ways to brush back that assertion. Willie Mays makes the game-saving catch in the Giants' 1954 World Series opener against the Cleveland Indians during Game 1 on September 29, 1954 at the Polo Ground V in New York, New York. He was later on inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1979. Then it would be the Polo Grounds versus Yankee Stadium. All Rights Reserved. Willie Mays Getty Pool. Ballys Manufacturing, then known as a slot machine and pinball machine producer, quickly got in and became a major player. After starting his rookie campaign in a terrible 0-12 slump, Mays sent a Warren Spahn pitch over the left field wall of the Polo Grounds for his . Willies attorney blamed Rosen, who he claimed promised to handle the commissioner. Regardless, Willie accepted and announced on October 29, 1979, that he would be Ballys new Goodwill Ambassador. The Royal: Directed by Marcel Sarmiento. Mays Leaving Baseball: Confused Mays is sadly leaving Baseball, New York Times, October 30, 1979, B15. The Chicago White Sox deliberately lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds at the behest of gambler Arthur Rosenstein. Throw in the fact that the 91-year-old Giants all-star lends his voice to the proceedings, and its a solid HBO documentary for anyone who loves the game, with one glaring error. Mays himself was still socially immature and even his 50s struggled to have close relationships anyone, white or black. You can share 5 more gift articles this month. Willie Mays looks on while sitting in the dugout before a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California in the early 1970's. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Giants great Willie Mays, who turns 91 Friday, is as driven and upbeat as ever. Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Even after their retirement from baseball, their relationship only strengthened further and it's an inspiring thing to see. In 1951, Garry Schumacher, Giants publicity man from World War II to Watergate, said of Mays: Hes the guy wholl have us all eating strawberries in the wintertime. Red Smith liked the line so much he named a collection of his columns Strawberries in the Wintertime, an apt description of the vicarious thrills afforded baseball employees and sportswriters of that era, men like New York columnist Bill Corum, who said: I dont want to be a millionaire, I just want to live like one.. Ultimately, she pursued further studies and graduated with a Master's degree in social work from Howard University. Run-DMC will do the job, with its 1993 song Whats Next. A couple of bored guys are walking down Broadway in New York with lots of lovely ladies like a-lookin our way. How to respond? I must say that this new year has disturbed me only physically and mentally.. In a surprise move, the New York Mets retired the number 24 in honor of Willie Mays on Old Timers' Day. Come back all week for more. Lawrence Hebb from Hamilton, New Zealand on March 14, 2018: CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on February 18, 2018: Hi Larry, as always, thanks for stopping by. Stats. While I would have given anything to play for the Yankees, I would never have wanted to be Mickey Mantle. Both Ramos and Mays are built more like a running back or strong safety in the NFL than a center fielder. Willie Mays celebrates his 90th birthday on Thursday. Mantles problems were compounded not just by his alcoholism, but also by pain from injuries and a degenerative bone disease; his rookie year also ended abruptly when he tore his knee in Game 2 of the 51 Series. In a 1966 Peanuts strip, Charlie Browns teacher gives him maze in the spelling bee, and Charlie replies: Maze? Finally, in early 1983 the Claridge Hotel and Casino came calling with a $100,000 a year gig to be their goodwill ambassador. The Hall of Fame lefthander Warren Spahn gave up Mayss first hit in the big leagues, a home run at the Polo Grounds, and said, For the first 60 feet, it was a hell of a pitch., Mays was so magnetic during October 54, when the Giants swept Cleveland in the Fall Classicso many people were sucked into his gravitational pullthat a doctor in Spartanburg, S.C., unilaterally applied the middle name Mays to a birth certificate after delivering a baby whose mother had named her son Willie. In his prime, Willie Mays was a hedge against mortality. After going on dates, they got married in 1971. Too cocky. If I had a problem, I could sit down with someone and they would explain the problem to me, and the . Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate. Share with your friends. Snider said at the time, Willie more or less really deserves to be in by himself. The Duke joined Mays in Cooperstown the next year. Willie Mays is 5-10 (178 cm) tall. Rickey Henderson and his wife Pamela attending an event together | Source: Getty Images. For ballplayers, it was a privilege to bask in his reflected blaze. That deep drive in the World Series opener was, he told Ed Sullivan, one of his greatest thrills in baseball, at least up until he caught the ball. Wertz gestured toward Mays, who shared the stage with him, the same stage on which Elvis and the Beatles would soon conquer the U.S. I was impressed with what Willie remembers when interviewed. Like what? Schulz had declined similar overtures from previous filmmakers, and initially rebuffed this one, too, but then Mendelson asked the cartoonist if he had seen the recent documentary on ABC called A Man Named Mays. The League minimum today is almost $550,000. He persevered, remaining the best player in baseball. Was Willie Mays in some form of the amusement business? He lives with a personal assistant and a friend who was the caretaker for Mayss wife, Mae, before she died in 2013 after a long fight with Alzheimers disease. Willie Mays weighed 170 lbs (77 kg) when playing. No one ever sees Willie Howard Mays unless he has a glove, a bat, a driver or a putter in his hand, Jim Murray wrote in 1971. Yes, maamthats an easy one MAYS.. Discovery Company. The problem for Willie was his reluctance to be honest about his personal life. He becomes invisible 10 minutes after he has turned off the shower. Forget about Where is he now? and consider, for a moment, Where he was then.. The 2020 World Series is in jeopardy now, like the season itself, another American standby threatened by the pandemic. Car dealerships, airlines, suits, restaurants, beer, and book deals; they sold it all. Well, Willie Mays's age is 91 years old as of today's date 3rd March 2023 having been born on 6 May 1931. Quotations by Willie Mays, American Athlete, Born May 6, 1931. Yet the Red Sox passed on Mays, who signed in 1950 with a New York Giants scout, Eddie Montague, for $4,000 and a monthly salary of $250, with the Barons getting $10,000. In 1976, New Jersey passed a referendum legalizing casinos, but restricting them to Atlantic City. That sets up a wrenching finish for the Giants when Willie McCovey lines out to second baseman Bobby Richardson. Rosen said it was a misunderstanding between all of the parties. Mantle and close friend Whitey Ford even invested in a dog track in Florida. His MLB career began in 1950 when he signed with the then-New York Giants straight after graduating from high school. May 6, 2021 9:53am. His office blocked the purchase of a race track by several owners in the early 1970s. Im no Willie Mays, said the estimable Henry Aaron. His son Billy died in 1994 due to drug abuse. 185.160.67.210 Log in to join the discussion. Boos and jeers were commonplace. Within just a couple of years, Mickey began making so much money off memorabilia and book deals, that Casino greeting would not be necessary much longer. At the same time, Mays drew criticism for his unwillingness to speak out regarding civil rights, eventually prompting the trailblazing Jackie Robinson to publicly accuse Mays who wasnt outwardly political, as Bob Costas says of looking only to his security as a great star. That was true despite the racism that Mays himself faced, which included being initially denied the opportunity to buy a house in a posh San Francisco neighborhood. Now I understand what he was going through financially. Teens clambered over the outfield fence during the 33-minute set and rushed toward the stage, as cops chased the fans around center field. A player of such infinite variety deserves as much. This was the High Renaissance of Late Elviswhen the King was all jumpsuits, sideburns and sunglasses. Matty Alou is on first with two out. He was a beautiful man, said Mrs. Mary Hughes of suburban Daly City. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Cobb had been in spring training with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1927, near the end of his playing career, when he pitched to an 80-year-old Fort Myers resident named Thomas Alva Edison. March 17, 2006 9:13AM. He was indeed in the amusement industry. Mays has collaborated on books before, but 24 feels like a valedictory address in which the speaker is too humble to brag, but waves of guests take the stage to give stirring testimony. Giants at bat and trailing the Yankees 1-0 in the ninth. However, there would be consequences. Willie Mays and Vin Scully chat in the broadcast booth at AT& Park before a Giants-Dodgers game on Oct. 1, 2016. Maybe it was the dash around the bases, his cap flying. But how do you explain Mays, 90 on Thursday, to this generation? We will never know what might have happened if Mays himself had been running from first on the double he hit in Game 7 of the 1962 World Series with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Regarded as one of the greatest players ever, Mays ranks second behind only Babe Ruth on most all-time lists, including those of The Sporting News and ESPN. N/A. Birth Country: United States. Willie Howard Mays Jr. nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid" is an American former professional baseball center fielder who spent his 22-season career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants. Ed Kolenovsky/AP. Mays himself was part of the 1955 song, which was included on the soundtrack for the 1994 documentary Baseball by Ken Burns: He runs the bases like a choo-choo train, The group The Baseball Project takes listeners on a reverie through the mist of seasons in Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays: a father and son at a Dodgers-Giants game at Candlestick Park to watch Mays face Sandy Koufax; a jump to 1973, with Mays now on the New York Mets and letting a ball go through his legs; and then a return to the Polo Grounds and black-and-white footage of Mays overhead catch and spinning throw in the 1954 World Series. He left stars starstruck. Enter your email and password to access comments. 2. We've received your submission. Rosen played ten seasons for the Cleveland Indians and made a successful transition into the business world. Willie Howard Mays Jr. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). @ MikeLupica. It strikes with the clarity of a line drive. With Amin Joseph, Elisabeth Rhm, Olivia Holgun, Andrea Navedo. Aside from Willie Mays, another legend Rickey Henderson and his wife Pamela have been together for almost four decades and have remained together through it all. Most the players from way back when didn't make their big money actually from playing. Say Hey, Willie Mays! premieres November 8 at 9 p.m. 24. But his day is gone. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Cashmans vote is clear: And me, I always loved Willie Mays/Those were the days! Mays also gets top billing in the title and when the names of the trio are sung in the refrain. Mays has always pictured a different outcome. Imagine if LeBron James and Kevin Durant had to play one on one during a national TV broadcast because they needed the money. 1955, 1962, 1964, 1965 . Despite their status, there was fame, but not a lot of fortune. Or the gentle tap of his glove before a basket catch and his run back to the infield after an inning, carrying the ball as if it were a wounded bird. Yep, the greatest living ballplayer - and arguably the best of all-time -- will be 90 years young tomorrow, May 6. The total amount was $100,000 to eight of the players. Willie Mays belonged to that class of artists, like carnival caricaturists, whose art is only performable in public, before outstretched hands, accompanied by organ music, the air hot-dog-scented. Although they met in New York, Mae was actually a Pittsburgh native, growing up in the racially-segregated Homewood community. A More Mature Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid" Michael Nagle/Getty Images. Mays also remains involved in his Say Hey Foundation; on Oct. 24 (there's that number again), the Costacos Collection dropped a set of Mays NFTs with the proceeds going to Say Hey. It was a striking contrast to his indelible catch at the Polo Grounds in 1954, a moment preserved in a statuette now given annually, in his name, to the most valuable player in the World Series. Its a gift for baseball fans who saw him play before he hung up that golden glove nearly 50 years ago, and maybe even more so, for those who didnt. Willie Mays and club president Horace Stoneham are spotted together at Candlestick Park. Largely raised by his aunts after his parents split up, Mays came out of segregated baseball before the Giants poached him from the Negro League. An understatement, I thought; a . The Say Hey Kid turns 90 today. Shouts of Draft Dodger! plagued Mantle especially, as he was ineligible for the draft due to his health problems. The man, about 30a teenager in the late 1950stold Sanders that the enduring appeal of Elvis is that he can do it all. That is, he can sing, dance, act, tell stories and just stand there, looking like a million dollars, with a humility that conveys authenticity. CJ Kelly (author) from the PNW on February 11, 2018: Very true, TT. When I went to the All-Star Game over there in 1961 they wanted me to say that I wanted to be a Red Sock. A five-year-old boy, holding his fathers hand, shouted: Let me see you once more, Willie, but Willie had vanished, as he would later do on Bewitched. Absolutely incredible, said another of these living wax museum figures, of the men assembled for induction into the California Hall of Fame, especially when you have Willie here. It was Tiger Woods, one of the few men of the 21st century who had lived in that swirl, and had served as a measuring stick, his name invoked as the best-ever at something difficult and popular, with the attention that such a gift will bring.