Willie Mays RIP

[Gil Bang 26,228]

 

[Surly Bevo 25,704]

Make that over the shoulder basket catch in the sky Willie

 

RIP

[TonyTexas 10,696]

The Say Hey Kid was my favorite player as a youngster. RIP

[tx 3 putt 78,612]

My all time #1 player, RiP 

 

[Beau Vine 55,854]

I only remember seeing him play for the Mets at the end of his career, but damn, what a loss.

His savant page looks like a fucking massacre happened on it:

Edited June 19 by Beau Vine

[WBT 20,956]

Damn, RIP to the greatest living ballplayer

[Scraps 13,791]

Yeah this sucks...my favorite "old school" player that I never got to see play.

Watch Say Hey! Willie Mays Doc on HBO...worth it.

I pulled this Topps buyback card a few years back that is an original 1961 Topps Mays card.

(A buyback is when the company goes and finds the original cards in good shape and then re-release autographed, or in this case with the 20 Giant seasons stamp. Probably lowered the value but its in great shape.)

[jimmyjazz 47,070]

Dang.  I don't think I ever saw him play.  That over-the-shoulder catch was iconic.  

Rest in peace, Say Hey Kid.

[tx 3 putt 78,612]

 

[InkaUtexas 26,855]

24 = 42.

[Soliver465 406]

Went into the Army in 1952 as rookie of the year.  Won the MVP in 54 when he came out.

Edited June 19 by Soliver465

[InkaUtexas 26,855]

Moving it here. Say Hey Kid deserves his own thread for sure.

 

[MrX 801]

What a monster. From ‘54 to ‘71 (18 seasons) he played at least 136 games. And in the one he didn’t he played 117 games. 
 

RIP. 

[dcar00 14,931]

wow.  The last true hero from the golden age of baseball. End of an era. It has always been tough between him and Ruth but I'd go with Mays.  only man with 3K hits, 600 HR's, and 300 SB's.  and hit for .300.   the OG 5 tool player.

When quite possibly the greatest ever ballplayer dies it is a sad day but a life lived well.

Say Hey Willie and Godspeed.

 

 

[Armybrat 41,365]

RIP to an American icon.

['stache 22,130]

Damn, I feel terrible, didn’t know he was still kicking. RIP legend. I remember learning why the basket catch was so special, it was 420 feet in that deep ass Polo Grounds centerfield. Most of you probably knew that your whole life, I learned it about 15 years ago and changed my whole perception. Pure badass.

[jimmyjazz 47,070]

4 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

only man with 3K hits, 600 HR's, and 300 SB's.  and hit for .300.

Specifically

3,283 hits

660 home runs

339 stolen bases

0.301 batting average

 

Holy shit.

Edited June 19 by jimmyjazz

[The Ace of Aces 5,374]

For the first time in my life, Willie Mays isn’t the greatest living baseball player. And that sucks. 

[Scraps 13,791]

For the first time in my life, Willie Mays isn’t the greatest living baseball player. And that sucks. 

Now its Martin Maldonado

[Victorious1 181]

My dad took me to see Willie Mays and the SF Giants at the Astrodome in the early 70's.  I was about 8 and it was my first MLB game.  I was probably more excited to eat my first foot long hot dog.  RIP

[Bevo&Pevo 5,515]

He's playing a game that never ends now.  RIP Willie.  

[Beau Vine 55,854]

23 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Damn, I feel terrible, didn’t know he was still kicking. RIP legend. I remember learning why the basket catch was so special, it was 420 feet in that deep ass Polo Grounds centerfield. Most of you probably knew that your whole life, I learned it about 15 years ago and changed my whole perception. Pure badass.

480 to C.  And something like 450 to the alleys IIRC.   

And people ask why there are so few triples now...

[Carl Spackler 3,614]

If you're talking about the ability to do it all and do everything at an elite level, then the name Willie Mays is at or very close to the top.  On top of that was his infectious enthusiasm and his love for the game.  

[Carl Spackler 3,614]

29 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Specifically

3,283 hits

660 home runs

339 stolen bases

0.301 batting average

 

Holy shit.

And he hit those numbers despite losing the better part of two seasons to serving in the military in the years immediately after winning ROY.  Imagine what his career numbers would have been if he had played those two seasons in full.

(Similar observations could be made about Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and others.)

 

[dcar00 14,931]

8 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

480 to C.  And something like 450 to the alleys IIRC.   

And people ask why there are so few triples now...

for another thread but on baseball reference there is one color picture in the top 24 for lifetime triples - Stan Musial(19th), who ALSO has the 3rd most lifetime doubles.  dude was an XBH monster.

[cafe society 2,903]

I'm just old enough to have seen his last couple of years with the Giants before his swan song with the Mets.  He was still great even as his Mets career was a sad, rapid descent.  I don't know who anyone considers the greatest ever besides him.

[TornACL 7,792]

Giants broadcast tonight discussed how Willie stayed around the Giants, giving pointers to guys as recently as Angel Pagan and Hunter Pence. If not more recently, but those two guys were specifically mentioned (Pence was in the booth tonight)

Dave Flemming (pbp) mentioned seeing Willie's golf cart outside the clubhouse and going into listen and be a fly on the wall. 

The guy fucking loved ball  and he played like it. And that's why everybody loved him.

[tx 3 putt 78,612]

 

[tx 3 putt 78,612]

[dcar00 14,931]

1 minute ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

that is nuts it was the first time they ever met consider Dodgers and Giants were both in the NL and Vin was in Brooklyn too.

[wood 11,757]

2 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

I only remember seeing him play for the Mets at the end of his career, but damn, what a loss.

His savant page looks like a fucking massacre happened on it:

Career: AVG .301, OPS .941, 660 HR, SLG .557, 1909 RBI

Fucking hell. I already had him as probably the best all-round player ever, but Got damn. That's ridiculous. He might have been the best CF ever and the best all-around hitter ever.

[Beau Vine 55,854]

How many MVPs did he win?

Spoiler

Only 2

Man, we think award voting these days is bad... It used to be absolutely indefensible on the regular.   Such as:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1964.shtml#all_NL_MVP_voting

 

[Harrison Stafford 3,392]

Still have my baseball cards from the 50’s & 60’s including these two.

[wood 11,757]

Wow. 24-time All Star (2x All Star MVP) and 12 straight Gold Gloves tho, iirc.

[tx 3 putt 78,612]

 

[dcar00 14,931]

1 hour ago, wood said:

Career: AVG .301, OPS .941, 660 HR, SLG .557, 1909 RBI

Fucking hell. I already had him as probably the best all-round player ever, but Got damn. That's ridiculous. He might have been the best CF ever and the best all-around hitter ever.

not to derail but considering Williams lost 4.5 years in his very much prime I would go with Ted for best hitter.  he had 1839 RBI's 521 HR's and missed 4.5 years. OPS 1.116 and OPS+ 191

It's basically Ruth(pitching and how overall dominant his stats were to his peers) and Mays, IMO. and due to fielding and speed I'd probably take Mays.

[DougO 5,264]

 

[Beau Vine 55,854]

1 hour ago, wood said:

Wow. 24-time All Star

Aaron, Willie, and Musial will always be at the top of that leaderboard, because they got the period with 2 AS games per year right in their careers' wheelhouses.   Also, because they were better than anyone else.

[YGIFS 19,458]

When my father, as an avid a baseball/Cubs fan as you'd ever know...would put into port in San Francisco on USN shore leave in the early-mid 1960's...him and his crew had two goals. First-score some chicks.  Second-score some Giants tickets to see the great Willie Mays.  I was born too late to ever see him play.  But in my house after the Cubs, Willie Mays was Baseball Royalty.  And now, Willie Mays-you are Baseball Immortality.  May the four winds blow you safely home. 

[Underdog 29,132]

6 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

Three badasses. 

[TonyTexas 10,696]

It’s mind bottling that those Giants team of the 60’s and early 70’s, with Mays , McCovey , Marichal and Gaylord Perry, only won the NL once and zero WS

Edited June 19 by TonyTexas

[Hornius Emeritus 12,794]

6 hours ago, wood said:

Career: AVG .301, OPS .941, 660 HR, SLG .557, 1909 RBI

Fucking hell. I already had him as probably the best all-round player ever, but Got damn. That's ridiculous. He might have been the best CF ever and the best all-around hitter ever.

I think he was the best player in history.

[MrX 801]

2 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

It’s mind bottling that those Giants team of the 60’s and early 70’s, with Mays , McCovey , Marichal and Gaylord Perry, only won the NL once and zero WS

Had to deal with Sandy Koufax, then Bob Gibson, then the peak Pirates and Reds. 

[Radical Larry 28,818]

 

[TxTower 686]

I think he was the best player in history.

GOAT

Imho

[LTtxfan 49,955]

RIP "Say Hey" 🙏

[dcar00 14,931]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40382709/willie-mays-new-york-san-francisco-giants-legacy-joy-watch

pretty much mirrors what has been said in this thread but good article.

[Frank Drebin 5,834]

5 hours ago, Hornius Emeritus said:

I think he was the best player in history.

If he's not, he's on the Mount Rushmore.

I think he is.

[Pato del Muerto 53,420]

I think the only legitimate arguments are for Ruth and mays, and it depends on 1) how you view the talent of each era, especially with before and after integration, and 2) how much you value Ruth having just ridiculous stats compared to his peers and the stock you put in his time pitching (also era defined) 

[dcar00 14,931]

5 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I think the only legitimate arguments are for Ruth and mays, and it depends on 1) how you view the talent of each era, especially with before and after integration, and 2) how much you value Ruth having just ridiculous stats compared to his peers and the stock you put in his time pitching (also era defined) 

I would say Aaron has a bit of an argument given his overall stats and power(he also hit .305 and had 240 SB's so he wasn't a statue on the bases) but fielding gives Mays the nod.