RIP Willie Mays
June 18, 2024 7:53 PM Subscribe
Willie Mays, one of the best players in baseball passed away on June 18th, 2024. The "Say hey kid" made one of the most iconic plays in baseball history in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.
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posted by riverlife at 8:13 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
posted by riverlife at 8:13 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
I have a Willie Mays Little League bat that I got from a game we attended at Candlestick back in the 60’s. I think it was picture day as well so Willie walked around the outfield waving as we all took his photo. I don’t remember much about the game; I was too young. But I do remember how much everyone was excited to see Willie. I also remember being terrified after someone nearby got hit by a foul ball.
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posted by jabo at 8:32 PM on June 18 [3 favorites]
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posted by jabo at 8:32 PM on June 18 [3 favorites]
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posted by Windopaene at 8:41 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
posted by Windopaene at 8:41 PM on June 18 [1 favorite]
A writer named Arnold Hano (who passed a few years ago) went to Game 1 of the 1954 series, just as a fan, but then wrote up his observations. They eventually became a book called "A Day in the Bleachers," which is now regarded as one of the very best books ever about the game.
Hano writes a long passage about The Catch, as it's still called. I thought about typing out an excerpt here but it just does not lend itself to being excerpted. So a very brief summary: Hano notes that though he'd seen Ruth and Gehrig and Williams and Foxx, he'd never seen anyone hit a ball as hard as Wertz did with that long line drive.
Hano, though, had also seen Mays many times and was sure he'd make the catch ... until he saw Mays running flat-out and realized that the ball was hit even harder than Hano had figured: "I thought: It will beat him to the wall."
But as we all know now, Mays was like no one else before, nor after, probably. He made The Catch, and with it he became immortal.
posted by martin q blank at 9:00 PM on June 18 [11 favorites]
Hano writes a long passage about The Catch, as it's still called. I thought about typing out an excerpt here but it just does not lend itself to being excerpted. So a very brief summary: Hano notes that though he'd seen Ruth and Gehrig and Williams and Foxx, he'd never seen anyone hit a ball as hard as Wertz did with that long line drive.
Hano, though, had also seen Mays many times and was sure he'd make the catch ... until he saw Mays running flat-out and realized that the ball was hit even harder than Hano had figured: "I thought: It will beat him to the wall."
But as we all know now, Mays was like no one else before, nor after, probably. He made The Catch, and with it he became immortal.
posted by martin q blank at 9:00 PM on June 18 [11 favorites]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:07 PM on June 18
posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:07 PM on June 18
This his me harder than I ever expected it to. The greatest Giant of all time, the greatest ballplayer of all time. RIP to the Say Hey Kid.
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:43 PM on June 18 [12 favorites]
posted by villanelles at dawn at 9:43 PM on June 18 [12 favorites]
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posted by kensington314 at 9:52 PM on June 18
posted by kensington314 at 9:52 PM on June 18
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posted by ursus_comiter at 9:59 PM on June 18 [4 favorites]
posted by ursus_comiter at 9:59 PM on June 18 [4 favorites]
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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 10:15 PM on June 18
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 10:15 PM on June 18
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As a life-long Dodger fan I remember growing up in the sixties and watching the epic duels between Mays and Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale. He won his share, but you could bet that Drysdale would knock him down at least once in every game. He was our foe, but he was admired as one of the all-time best.
posted by jvbthegolfer at 10:17 PM on June 18 [3 favorites]
As a life-long Dodger fan I remember growing up in the sixties and watching the epic duels between Mays and Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale. He won his share, but you could bet that Drysdale would knock him down at least once in every game. He was our foe, but he was admired as one of the all-time best.
posted by jvbthegolfer at 10:17 PM on June 18 [3 favorites]
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posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:57 PM on June 18
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:57 PM on June 18
The Treniers' Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song).
posted by myopicman at 10:58 PM on June 18 [2 favorites]
posted by myopicman at 10:58 PM on June 18 [2 favorites]
Watching "The Catch" again and boy were those old ball parks absolutely bizarre. 425 feet gets you a fly out where 250ish feet gets you a game winning home run. Also, wasn't Mays just completely booking it to get to that ball.
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:09 PM on June 18 [2 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 11:09 PM on June 18 [2 favorites]
A nice little tribute video put together by the Giants and narrated by Jon Miller.
For someone who never saw him play (he retired the year I was born and I live in an AL city anyway), this has hit me harder than I might have expected. Farewell to one of the true icons of American sport.
posted by non canadian guy at 11:49 PM on June 18 [8 favorites]
For someone who never saw him play (he retired the year I was born and I live in an AL city anyway), this has hit me harder than I might have expected. Farewell to one of the true icons of American sport.
posted by non canadian guy at 11:49 PM on June 18 [8 favorites]
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posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 1:09 AM on June 19
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs at 1:09 AM on June 19
Was watching the Giants play the Cubs when they announced the news. Sad news.
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posted by Thorzdad at 3:01 AM on June 19 [2 favorites]
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posted by Thorzdad at 3:01 AM on June 19 [2 favorites]
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posted by Smart Dalek at 3:03 AM on June 19
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:03 AM on June 19
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Sadly just days before the MLB was to play a game at the oldest ballpark in the US, Rickwood Field, where Mays played with the Birmingham Black Barons early in his incredible career.
posted by synecdoche at 3:51 AM on June 19 [6 favorites]
Sadly just days before the MLB was to play a game at the oldest ballpark in the US, Rickwood Field, where Mays played with the Birmingham Black Barons early in his incredible career.
posted by synecdoche at 3:51 AM on June 19 [6 favorites]
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posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 3:55 AM on June 19
posted by oozy rat in a sanitary zoo at 3:55 AM on June 19
I saw a documentary last year-ish that featured an interview with Willie from not more than about three years ago. His vision was gone but, wondrously, his memories and wit remained sharp.
Hug your area SF baseball fan today, because for them, this is one of Those celebrity deaths.
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posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:17 AM on June 19
Hug your area SF baseball fan today, because for them, this is one of Those celebrity deaths.
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posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:17 AM on June 19
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posted by LobsterMitten at 4:49 AM on June 19 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten at 4:49 AM on June 19 [1 favorite]
One of the best all around players in the game. Bar none. Thanks Willie RIP
posted by DJZouke at 5:31 AM on June 19
posted by DJZouke at 5:31 AM on June 19
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posted by trip and a half at 5:31 AM on June 19
posted by trip and a half at 5:31 AM on June 19
Willie Mays smacked 660 HRs in his career, but easily could have had more than Babe Ruth had he not lost the better part of two seasons to military service.
posted by NoMich at 5:42 AM on June 19 [2 favorites]
posted by NoMich at 5:42 AM on June 19 [2 favorites]
His SABR bio has a good overview of his great career, and there's a sweet post from years back on the Schulz Museum blog about the link between Willie Mays and Charlie Brown, the world's greatest and worst baseball players.
posted by the primroses were over at 6:06 AM on June 19 [3 favorites]
posted by the primroses were over at 6:06 AM on June 19 [3 favorites]
I grew up quite irrationally rabidly an NL and only NL fan. For me it was Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. Joe DiMaggio? Mickey Mantle? Baah.
This is the end of an era and that makes me sad.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:19 AM on June 19 [1 favorite]
This is the end of an era and that makes me sad.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:19 AM on June 19 [1 favorite]
There is no Mount Rushmore of baseball that wouldn't have Willie on it.
posted by delfin at 7:30 AM on June 19 [4 favorites]
posted by delfin at 7:30 AM on June 19 [4 favorites]
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posted by May Kasahara at 8:21 AM on June 19
posted by May Kasahara at 8:21 AM on June 19
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posted by cooker girl at 8:44 AM on June 19
posted by cooker girl at 8:44 AM on June 19
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posted by MrBadExample at 8:59 AM on June 19
posted by MrBadExample at 8:59 AM on June 19
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posted by Joey Michaels at 10:35 AM on June 19
posted by Joey Michaels at 10:35 AM on June 19
He’ll be remembered at least until 2373 (we just rewatched this episode.)
posted by nat at 1:41 PM on June 19
posted by nat at 1:41 PM on June 19
~Was watching the Giants play the Cubs when they announced the news.
And, TIL, Willie is the all-time leader of homeruns hit against the Cubs, both at Wrigley and home.
~Willie Mays smacked 660 HRs in his career, but easily could have had more than Babe Ruth had he not lost the better part of two seasons to military service.
That, and, if he had played on a team with a more homerun-friendly home...like for the Cubs and at Wrigley.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:56 AM on June 20
And, TIL, Willie is the all-time leader of homeruns hit against the Cubs, both at Wrigley and home.
~Willie Mays smacked 660 HRs in his career, but easily could have had more than Babe Ruth had he not lost the better part of two seasons to military service.
That, and, if he had played on a team with a more homerun-friendly home...like for the Cubs and at Wrigley.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:56 AM on June 20
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posted by kokaku at 8:07 PM on June 18 [3 favorites]