The 'Say Hey Kid' passes at 93

[rcooled]

Willie Mays is gone...one of the greatest to ever play the game.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40382540/legendary-center-fielder-willie-mays-dies-93

[gregpark]

Best baseball player I ever saw

[Billiam 911 2.8]

I agree Greg. Elite five tool player with no equal. Griffey Jr. had it but his career was cut short by injuries.

[Bugsinrugs]

He was my hero growing up. I went to hundreds of Giants games with my father. I seriously loved Willie. When the Giants traded Willie I never went to another Giants game. I’m heart broken.

[Tobra]

Last of the greats

[Superman]

Yup.

[rfuerst911sc]

The Michael Jordan of baseball . RIP

[flatbutt]

I got to see the man play. The cap flying off when he ran and of course the Basket Catch.

https://www.mlb.com/news/hall-of-famer-willie-mays-passes-away-at-93

[gsxrken]

Willie Mays’ last at bat is my earliest memory of my father as well. My dad said to me “I want you to look at the man at the plate… his name is Willie Mays and he is the best baseball player that ever played. I hope you will remember that you got to see him play.” He hit a groundout, but I do still remember it. I was delighted to find we had the same birthday too.
Baseball featured bigger in my childhood in a way that I wouldn't be able to describe to someone born after 1980; almost a real life “The Sandlot” movie. And it was something that my father and I shared even when not much else between us was working.
RIP, Willie. You were the best that ever played.

[Seahawk]

I had the great pleasure to watch Mr. Mays live a number of times, oddly mostly at Dodger games!

Thank you.

[craigster59]

I was always a big Giants and A's fan growing up in the Bay Area. RIP Willie!

[ckissick]

Originally Posted by Bugsinrugs

He was my hero growing up. I went to hundreds of Giants games with my father. I seriously loved Willie. When the Giants traded Willie I never went to another Giants game. I’m heart broken.

+1. Except I still go to their games.

[juanbenae]

He served in the army and missed three seasons 52-54 of his prime in doing so. Been suggested had he played those 3 seasons he may have caught and passed ruth for the home run mark.

[Tidybuoy]

I grew up in San Francisco and Willie Mays lived one block up from me in the Sunset District.

[Steve Carlton]

I read he almost threw out the runner at 2nd base with his throw after the catch. Probably well known.

[gregpark]

Willie said the catch was routine but the throw was one of his best

[gregpark]

I remember back in 61 or 62 Willie tried to buy a house in my home town of Lafayette CA. Happy Valley Rd.was and still is the prestigious street address in town. The wealthy white neighbors bad vibed him enough that he didn't buy. They didn't want any black people as neighbors. I was a young grade school kid then and was flabbergasted. Times have certainly changed

[Steve Carlton]

We moved to Pleasant Hill in '58, then Orinda in '68. I lived in Lafayette for a couple years once. I used to see Ted Hendricks' head in the next aisle in Safeway. Steph Curry lived a few hundred yards away from my parents in Orinda, then moved to Alamo. Now he's in a $30M house in Atherton, so he was slumming it in the east bay.

[URY914]

[Steve Carlton]

Originally Posted by gregpark

Willie said the catch was routine but the throw was one of his best

I'm sure there's plenty of great catches, but for me, this one is electrifying. Did he track the ball in it's final few feet?





I wonder what those people in the stands nearby thought when the saw that. Have they been interviewed?