‘Say Hey Kid’ was a legend on and off the field
Willie Mays, one of the most important athletes in American history, passed away yesterday at the age of 93. Considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all-time, Mays was a 24-time All-Star, 12-time Gold Glove winner, 2-time MVP, and 1954 World Series champion.
The numbers, such as the 660 home runs, are incredible, but they alone cannot capture the importance and legacy of the man. The story of baseball itself simply cannot be told without Mays as one of its main characters, and most beloved protagonists.
Mays – who played for the New York/San Francisco Giants (1951-52, 1954-72) and the New York Mets (1972-73) – was front and center in what is perhaps the most famous play in the history of the sport. “The Catch” was that perfect symbiosis of man and moment – Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, the score tied at 2 in the eighth inning. Mays almost impossibly tracks down a deep Vic Wertz fly ball, leading to the iconic on-the-run, over-the-shoulder catch and throw to somehow keep the game tied. Mays and his New York Giants went on to win Game 1 and ultimately the series. There might not be a single moment in baseball history that has been shown more than this one. Mays’ ease of movement, grace, athleticism, and competitiveness summed up all too perfectly.
Known as the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays was not just a superlative ballplayer. For many, he was a wondrous blend of man, myth, legend, tales of whom have been passed down through generations. Mays was, and will forever remain, an essential piece of the fabric of American life.
