The Say Hey kid

skibum609
Massachusetts
May your soul rest in peace Willie Mays. Watching you play was one of the highlights of my childhood. As amazing as it may sound to today's young, athletes used to have off-season jobs and jobs after their careers ended. Willie Mays worked as a greeter in a casino, a far cry from being the best centerfielder at ever play the game.
I shook his hand and said: " I saw you play Mr. Mays, you were amazing". He said, "thank you young man, but always remember that all work is honorable". I still use that line some 45 years later in my job.

18 comments

  • Muddy
    •
    4 months ago
    Really was the last of the great old time players. And probably the best all around baseball player of all time.
  • shailynn
    •
    4 months ago
    “Willie Mays Hayes. I hit like Mays, and I run like Hayes.”

    You may run like Hayes, but you hit like sh*t. -Major League
  • twentyfive
    •
    4 months ago
    Willie Mays was not just a pioneering ball player, he was known as a class act, I was too young when he made that famous over the shoulder catch at the Polo Grounds to have seen it live, but I’ve watched it, it was spectacular.
    R. I. P. Willie Mays.
  • magicrat
    •
    4 months ago
    The best of our lifetime for sure and arguably the best ever. And this is coming from a Dodgers fan.
  • motorhead
    •
    4 months ago
    I only saw him when he was past his prime. I just began to really get interested in baseball when he played out his career with the Mets in the very early 70’s.

    But enough guys have said he’s the best to ever play the game.
  • skibum609
    •
    4 months ago
    Baseball has been aroud for a long time and Wille May's catch off Vic Wertz in the world series is acknowledged as the finest catch of all time. How many players, playing shallow, in a 440 foor center field, could sprint back to the wall and make a no-look over the head catch?
  • crosscheck
    •
    4 months ago
    I loved his comment about the 40-40 club (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season) when Jose Canseco became the first to do it. I'm paraphrasing, but he said something along the lines of "if I knew it was going to be such a big deal, I'd have done it three or four times myself."
  • skibum609
    •
    4 months ago
    He won the home run crown 4 times and the stolen base crown 4 times.
  • whodey
    •
    4 months ago
    He was before my time, but he is undoubtedly among the greatest to ever play the game. He has also been a great ambassador for the game for multiple generations after he retired and has always been a positive example of great sportsmanship. His charity work through the Say Hey Foundation and the Willie Mays Scholars (among other endeavors) have helped a lot of people over the years.

    Say Hey to God and r.i.p. Kid!
  • rockie
    •
    4 months ago
    Willie Mays was a joy to watch on the NBC Saturday baseball broadcasts of my youth!
  • motorhead
    •
    4 months ago
    ^^

    With Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubeck and Joe Garagiola in my time!
  • misterorange
    •
    4 months ago
    @skibum – Thank you for a beautiful tribute to Willie Mays. To say that the man was a class act is an understatement. I’ve been looking forward to this game tonight at Rickwood Field, between the Giants and the Cardinals. I went to my favorite bar to watch.

    The pregame coverage was great. History of the stadium and the Negro Leagues, the Hall of Famers who played there early in their careers, the renovations that were necessary to play an official MLB game there. And of course, a fitting tribute to the Say Hey Kid. What a great story.

    I didn’t recognize many of the players that were introduced, but I was trembling with excitement for these guys. 70 years ago they were heroes at the plate, stepping up to the deafening cheers of fans, including white fans. After that, all but a select few drifted off into obscurity and ordinary careers. Then today, THIS ONE NIGHT, they came out onto the same field, greeted by cheers and pride even greater than they ever experienced before. Wow.

    They brought them out, one-by-one, announcing their accomplishments and nicknames. Many of them were in wheelchairs. The crowd went wild. I can’t imagine the pride they felt. Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and David Ortiz (among others) were there to honor them.

    Then it came time for the National Anthem. They brought out a band with a singer. I couldn’t hear it because the TV wasn’t very loud and the bar was noisy. It appeared they sang the “Black National Anthem” (which I’m not a fan of calling it “National Anthem” but whatever, it’s a Black event so I’m happy for them). Then the official National Anthem.

    I was loving the ceremony but then I felt a fucking knife in my heart. The guy singing was wearing a baseball jersey and a skirt. He was like some kind of tranny or cross-dresser, I don’t know what you call it. Are you fucking kidding me? What a goddamn disgrace. These 90 year old guys are experiencing one of the proudest moments of their lives, and they gotta watch THAT fucking bullshit? The trannies are infiltrating THIS? Maybe next they should have WWII vets watch drag queens at their ceremonies.

    They might as well have spit in their fucking faces. Do you think any 90+ year old dude wants to see that? Is there nothing sacred anymore?
    That’s it for now. I’m going to throw up.
  • Huntsman
    •
    4 months ago
    Mays did everything well. One of the all time greats.
  • Studme53
    •
    4 months ago
    Heard a teammate talking about how he was a baseball genius. Knew where the batter hit to previous at bats, what the pitch was on the hit, what the count was, if there were runners on base, how many outs, etc. Knew it without really thinking about it.
  • motorhead
    •
    4 months ago
    Probably the only ESPN show worth watching anymore is PTI and Tony Kornheiser had the best comment I’ve heard describing Willie Mays.

    He wasn’t the best hitter
    He wasn’t the best power hitter
    He wasn’t the best in stealing bases
    He didn’t have the best arm
    He wasn’t the best defensive player

    But he was in the top 3 to 5 of all time for each of the 5 baseball tools. And no one can match that.
  • skibum609
    •
    4 months ago
    Remembering Willia Mays made me realize how much I used to love baseball. I spent an hour last night looking at old Red Sox Programs from the mid 60s. I am amazed at how well I used to keep score. I used to go watch batting practice and keep the box
    score. Now I won't go even if I am offered free roof boxes with open bar.
  • Studme53
    •
    4 months ago
    My brother got into keeping a score book when our dad took us to games. He claims he can look at his old score book and remember the plays he scored in the book like they’re on video
  • OldWhiteGuy
    •
    4 months ago
    Best 5 tool player of all time!
You must be a member to leave a comment.Join Now
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion