Willie Howard Mays Jr. was born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama. Raised in a predominantly African American community in Fairfield, a suburb of Birmingham, Mays displayed remarkable athletic prowess from a young age. His father, Willie Sr., was a talented baseball player in the Negro Leagues, and his mother, Annie Satterwhite, was a champion sprinter. This blend of athletic genes and a supportive environment cultivated Willie’s early interest and talent in baseball. Mays began his professional career in 1948 at age 17 with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos, a Negro minor league team.
Shortly after, he joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. His exceptional performance drew the attention of major league scouts, and in 1950, he signed with the New York Giants. Mays spent some time in the minor leagues with teams like the Trenton Giants and the Minneapolis Millers, where his prowess continued to grow. Mays made his Major League debut with the New York Giants on May 25, 1951.
Despite a slow start, he quickly found his stride, hitting 20 home runs in his rookie season and earning the National League Rookie of the Year award. The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, and Mays continued to shine, establishing himself as one of baseball’s greatest players. In 1952, Mays was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Mays was an excellent quarterback at Fairfield Industrial High School and loved basketball, but his dad encouraged him to stick with baseball and helped connect him with Piper Davis, the player-manager of the renowned Black Barons of the Negro American League.
His military service interrupted his baseball career, but he returned in 1954 and had one of his best seasons, leading the Giants to a World Series victory and earning his first National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. The pinnacle of Mays’ career came in 1954 when he led the New York Giants to a World Series victory over the Cleveland Indians. His over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1, known as “The Catch,” remains one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.
“Say Hey Kid”
Willie Mays was famously known as the “Say Hey Kid,” a nickname that became synonymous with his joyful and charismatic personality. There are several accounts and theories about how Mays acquired this moniker:
- Natural Greeting Style: One widely accepted explanation is that Mays himself had a habit of greeting people with a friendly “Say hey” instead of “hello” or “hi.” This casual and approachable greeting reflected his easygoing nature and endeared him to fans and teammates alike.
- Sportswriters’ Influence: Some stories suggest that sportswriters coined the nickname. According to sportswriter Barney Kremenko, Mays would often greet people with “Say who,” “Say what,” or “Say hey,” and this distinctive way of speaking caught on. Writers began using “Say Hey Kid” in their articles, and it quickly became popular.
- Teammates and Fans: Another perspective is that teammates and fans, noticing Mays’ frequent use of “Say hey,” started referring to him by that phrase. The nickname encapsulated his vibrant and youthful enthusiasm, both on and off the field.
Mays finished the season with a .345 batting average, 41 home runs, and an MVP award. After the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, Mays became the face of the franchise in their new city. Despite the challenges of transitioning to a new market, Mays’ performance remained stellar, and he continued to be a dominant force in the league. In 1962, Mays played a crucial role in leading the Giants to the National League pennant.
The team faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tight race that ended in a three-game playoff, which the Giants won. Though the Giants lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, Mays’ contributions were invaluable. In 1963, Mays signed a record-setting contract with the Giants worth $105,000 per year, making him the highest-paid player in baseball at the time. This contract underscored his value not just to the Giants but to the sport as a whole.
Mays won his second MVP award in 1965, a season in which he hit 52 home runs and had a batting average of .317. His combination of power, speed, and defensive skill was unmatched, and he continued to set new standards for excellence in the sport. Throughout the 1960s, Mays was consistently recognized as one of the best players in baseball. He was named Player of the Decade for his incredible performance, leadership, and sportsmanship during this period.
“Basket Catch”
Willie Mays’ signature “basket catch” was a distinctive fielding style where he caught fly balls with his glove held waist-high, rather than the conventional above-the-head approach. This unique technique showcased his exceptional hand-eye coordination and confidence. The basket catch became one of Mays’ trademarks, demonstrating his flair and making routine catches look effortless and stylish. It was notably featured during his iconic over-the-shoulder catch in the 1954 World Series, known simply as “The Catch,” which remains one of the most memorable plays in baseball history. Mays’ basket catch contributed to his reputation as one of the greatest defensive center fielders ever .
Mays’ later years with the Giants were marked by consistent performance, even as he aged. He continued to play at a high level well into his late 30s, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. In 1972, Mays was traded to the New York Mets, where he spent the final two seasons of his career. Though his performance was not as dominant as in his prime,
he provided veteran leadership and experience to the Mets. Mays was selected to 24 All-Star Games, a testament to his sustained excellence. He also participated in numerous barnstorming tours, where he played exhibition games across the country and internationally, further popularizing baseball. Willie Mays was a five-tool player, excelling in hitting for average, hitting for power, base running, throwing, and fielding.
His ability to impact the game in multiple ways made him a unique and invaluable player. Mays’ defensive prowess, particularly his ability to make difficult catches look routine, earned him 12 Gold Glove awards. Mays’ legacy extends beyond his on-field achievements.
He broke barriers and became a symbol of excellence and perseverance for African American athletes during the Civil Rights Movement. His charisma and skill helped to elevate baseball’s popularity and inspired countless young players. After retiring, Mays worked in various roles, including as a coach for the Mets and a special assistant for the Giants. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 on his first ballot.
Mays received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Mays made several media appearances, including TV shows and commercials, further cementing his status as a cultural icon. He married Margherite Wendell Chapman in 1956, and they had one adopted son, Michael. After their divorce, he married Mae Louise Allen in 1971. Asked about career highlights, Mays inevitably mentioned “The Catch,” but also cherished hitting four home runs in a game against the Braves;
falling over a canvas fence to make a catch in the minors; and running into a fence in Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field while chasing a bases-loaded drive, knocking himself out, but still holding on to the ball. Mays had numerous TV appearances, including on “What’s My Line,” “Bewitched,” “The Donna Reed Show,” “My Two Dads” and “Mr. Belvedere.” Willie Mays died Tuesday June 18, 2024 at the age of 93. He died of heart failure at a care home in Palo Alto, California.
In a 1997 episode of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” the son of Capt. Sisko searched the universe for a rookie Mays baseball card as a birthday gift for dad, showing that the Say Hey Kid was still baseball’s most famed name 3,000 years into the future.
In the 1989 baseball comedy “Major League,” Wesley Snipes played fast-talking speedster Willie Mays Hayes, who introduced himself to teammates: “Say hey! Willie Mays Hays here: Play like Mays and I run like (Olympic gold medal sprinter Bob) Hayes. How ya doing?”
John Fogerty’s 1985 hit “Centerfield” used Mays’ name as a metaphor for the boundless joy of baseball: “So say hey, Willie, tell Ty Cobb, and Joe DiMaggio. Don’t say ‘it ain’t so,’ you know the time is now.”
Further Reading
Sources
- AP News “Willie Mays, the Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ dies at 93” https://apnews.com/article/willie-mays-dies-at-93-baseball-33b31cc2d6382676ed54517d20ea36a3
- Wikipedia “Willie Mays” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mays
- The Sporting News “Why was Willie Mays called the ‘Say Hey Kid?’ Explaining Hall of Famer’s iconic nickname origin” https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/willie-mays-say-hey-kid-nickname/634c288efdcaf0fd7c4c7726
- National Baseball Hall of Fame. “Willie Mays.” baseballhall.org.
- MLB.com “Mets retire Willie Mays’ No. 24 during Old Timers’ Day” https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-retire-willie-mays-no-24
- San Francisco Chronicle “Willie Mays, San Francisco Giants legend and MLB all-time great, is dead” https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/giants/article/willie-mays-dead-obituary-17815215.php
