10 Remarkable Facts about the Legendary Willie Mays

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Charlotte Hopkins

2.    That same year, 1948, his professional baseball career launched when Mays signed on to play for the Birmingham Black Barons. He led them to win the 1948 World Series. At the time, he was limited to playing only home games so that he would not miss school. It was with the Barons that he caught the attention of scouts from the Major League baseball teams. The day he graduated from high school, he signed on to play for the New York Giants.



3.    Willie Mays was known as the “Say Hey Kid” because of his way of greeting people by saying, “Say Hey!” This habit started in 1951 when he played on the Giants minor league team, the Minneapolis Millers. He didn’t know the names of many players and officials so he would greet them by saying, “Say Hey.”



4.    On May 25, 1951, Willie Mays made his debut for the New York Giants. Later that year, he was named Rookie of the Year. He went on to become one of only seven players to hit 50 home runs in a single season. Additionally, he set a record with 382 total bases and ranked second in stolen bases.



5.    In May 1952, Mays was drafted into the army during the Korean War. He served from service in 1954. We can only wonder how many more records Mays would have broken if he had not missed 266 games. He was discharged on March 1, 1954, and arrived at spring training camp the following day.



6.    In Game One of the 1954 World Series, with the score tied 2-2 at the top of the 8th inning, Vic Wertz of the Cleveland Indians hit a ball at 106 mph. Willie Mays ran over 90 feet at 14 mph, tracking the ball every step of the way, and caught it as it slowed to about 40 mph. His precise timing and technique made this play, now known as "The Catch," one of the greatest in MLB history. On September 29, 2017, during the anniversary of “the catch,” the MVP trophy was renamed the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award.



7.    In 1955, Willie Mays became the first player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs and steal 20 bases in the same season. It would not be until 41 years later that another player matched this achievement. To date, only three others have accomplished this feat.



8.    In 1957, the MLB introduced the Rawlings Gold Glove, also called the Golden Glove, which is awarded annually to the best fielder in each position (right, center, and left). Willie Mays won 12 years in a row from 1957 – 1968.



9.    On Willie Mays's 37^th birthday, Judge Hofheinz gifted him with a birthday cake that weighed 569 pounds – 1 pound for every home run he hit! When Mays retired from baseball he had a record of 600 home runs.



10. Willie Mays played for the Giants from 1951-1952 and 1954-1972. He went on to play for the Mets from 1972-1973. Throughout his career, he wore #24 on his uniform. On the afternoon of August 20, 1983, at Candlestick Park, the Mets officially retired his uniform number during Willie Mays Day.