1986 Sportflics Decade Greats Willie Mays

 

The player: Arguably the greatest ballplayer of all time, Willie Mays ranks sixth all-time with 660 home runs. Yet while most members of the 500- and especially 600-HR clubs are thought of primarily as sluggers, Mays was a true all-around player who was equally proficient in all areas of the game. He had a .301 lifetime average, only once hitting below .270 in a full season. He had lots of speed, stealing 338 bases in an era of low stolen base totals, and led the NL in triples three times. And of course he was an all-time great fielder at perhaps the most important defensive position, center field. The most famous image of Mays is his legendary catch-and-throw in the 1954 World Series. (Those of you who were following baseball when Mays was active - did you consider him a slugger in the same way that Mantle and Aaron were? Perhaps my image of him as a more truly all-around player doesn't match the perception at the time.)

The man: As a young boy in Birmingham, AL, Mays's favorite player was Joe DiMaggio. Mays was very similar to DiMaggio off the field as well as on. Though Mays liked to give fans a show and was comfortable with the media, he was reserved about his private life and generally did not use his fame to act like a celebrity. He coached for the Mets from his retirement in 1973 until 1979, but would often not show up or leave early, and the Mets tried to fire him in 1975, but were blocked by the commissioner. After the 1979 season, he took a job as a greeter at an Atlantic City casino, at which time he was asked by the commissioner to leave the Mets. The casino job earned Mays and fellow greeter Mickey Mantle a brief ban from baseball, which was overturned in 1985. Since 1986 he has worked in a PR role for the Giants.

My collection: Getting any Mays card is a big deal, and I am fortunate to have four of his base Topps cards - 1964, 1966, 1971 and 1972. His 1973 card is still one of two low-numbers I need for that set.