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Willie Mays: Still 'a-Mays-zing' at 90: He's not merely one of the greatest baseball players ever. He's a class act
American Thinker ^ | 05/10/2021 | Will O' Toole

Posted on 05/10/2021 7:11:08 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," turned 90 on May 6. Although this is belated, it is a sincere "happy birthday" to the greatest living baseball player to play on the many greens in our nation's ballparks and stadiums.

To say Mays was a "five tool" player is to vastly understate his true, God-given talents and honed skills. It's no wonder that he was a fierce competitor on the field while entertaining baseball fans for decades. Thus, he could hit with an amazing lifetime batting average (.302), show incredible power (660 home runs), run with Olympic speed on the base paths (and in the cow pastures), throw (making a 195 Assists), and field (11 Gold Gloves). All this, plus 24 All-Star appearances and two MVPs.

What made Mays stand out above all the other "five tool" players was his uncanny sense of what he had to "improve on" or what the team needed most from him in any given year. Leo Durocher, Mays's first MLB manager with the Giants, stated, "If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases, and performed a miracle in the field every day, I'd still look you in the eye and say Willie was better."

The one tragedy of living so long is that Mays lost so many of his Cooperstown teammates: Henry Aaron, Al Kaline, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Joe Morgan, and Lou Brock. They're playing doubleheaders inside the Pearly Gates. At least that's how most baseball card–collecting kids who watched these players perform imagined Heaven would be for them.

Thankfully, Mays still graces our presence. And God willing, for at least another 90 years. Or more.

In addition to his record, Mays stands as a reminder to American fans how positively the athletes of yesterday contributed to race relations

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: baseball; willymays
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1 posted on 05/10/2021 7:11:08 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Love you Willie, and DON’T take the vaxx!


2 posted on 05/10/2021 7:12:18 AM PDT by JonPreston (Q: Never have so many, been so wrong, so often)
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To: SeekAndFind

>>the greatest living baseball player to play on the many greens in our nation’s ballparks and stadiums.

How many of those stadiums are still standing, let alone being used as ballparks today?

MLB forced cities to replace their legendary halls of old.


3 posted on 05/10/2021 7:15:23 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Lean on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity. L)
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To: SeekAndFind

HEY!!!


4 posted on 05/10/2021 7:16:47 AM PDT by gloryblaze
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To: SeekAndFind

Greatest player in the history of baseball, IMHO. There were no weaknesses in any part of his game, and who knows how many additional home runs he’d have hit if he didn’t have to play in Candlestick Park.


5 posted on 05/10/2021 7:23:22 AM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: SeekAndFind

Leo Durocher on Mister Ed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlVr45CHOuA


6 posted on 05/10/2021 7:25:30 AM PDT by Slyfox (Not my circus, not my monkeys)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Love you, Willie...McCovey, Horton, Davis, Stargell, whoever you are. You all look alike! Right Nanzi?


7 posted on 05/10/2021 7:28:26 AM PDT by alstewartfan (The dawn is turning away The ghost of Charlotte Corday. Al Stewart)
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To: SeekAndFind
I thought we were talking about this guy:

I was about to think it was mandella effect thing as I was thinking Billie Mays died from a drug Overdose or something...

then my mind realized it was the baseball player...

8 posted on 05/10/2021 7:30:03 AM PDT by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
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To: alstewartfan
Could have been worse, she could have posted a pic of Willie Mays Hayes.....


9 posted on 05/10/2021 7:33:24 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Nah, that’s George Kirby.


10 posted on 05/10/2021 7:37:53 AM PDT by dforest (huh?)
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To: a fool in paradise

Most stadiums are not built to last 100 years, they need to be replaced, as to who pays for the new ones that is a different conversation


11 posted on 05/10/2021 7:40:38 AM PDT by markman46 (engage brain before using keyboard!!!)
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To: markman46

The problem is some are not lasting 25 years.


12 posted on 05/10/2021 8:05:47 AM PDT by alternatives? (If our borders are not secure, why fund an army?)
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To: SeekAndFind

13 posted on 05/10/2021 8:06:27 AM PDT by Carpe Cerevisi
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To: SeekAndFind
Greatest era of MLB.



14 posted on 05/10/2021 8:13:36 AM PDT by Bratch
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To: SeekAndFind
"The Catch" - 1954 World Series.

The Catch was a baseball play made by New York Giants center fielder Willie Mays on September 29, 1954, during Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan, New York City. During the eighth inning with the score tied 2–2, Cleveland Indians batter Vic Wertz hit a deep fly ball to center field that was poised to score the runners on base.


15 posted on 05/10/2021 8:15:42 AM PDT by JesusIsLord
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To: Bratch

Willie, Mickey, and the Duke (Talkin' Baseball)


16 posted on 05/10/2021 8:15:47 AM PDT by Bratch
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To: AnotherUnixGeek
He'd certainly rank in the top 10, plus he was a team player along the lines of an Ernie Banks, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams. Just one reason he didn't hit more homeruns in addition to playing in Candlestick Park and the Polo Grounds which was even worse with its massive centerfield. Thus, the legendary Vic Wertz drive catch in 1954 World Series.

There would be a case for calling him the greatest ever, but the same could be said for Babe Ruth (who spent the first quarter of his career as a Hall of Fame pitcher), Honus Wagner or Ty Cobb (both of whom also did it all).

However, For the 1950-60s era, I don't think Willie Mays had an equal.

17 posted on 05/10/2021 8:16:03 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: JesusIsLord

when baseball was the American Pastime.


18 posted on 05/10/2021 8:17:04 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: SeekAndFind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vrsg_-dV7Q


19 posted on 05/10/2021 8:32:52 AM PDT by elteemike (Light is faster than sound; that's why so many people appear bright until you hear them speak.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Thanks for posting this great news about the Say Hey kid

Willie Mays was so popular when I was growing up.

I went to a Giants game right before the season started and they use to practice very differently.

Five (5) guys would throw pitch to a hitter and the batter would hit a ground ball to the players and then they could use their talents to field the ball and you had to be one the ball to find out who would get the ball to throw at the batter.

I concentrated on my favorite ball player and of course, Willie did not disappoint any body looking at him practice.

I think that Willie played 1st base, 2nd base, SS, third base for one inning each position.

Willie Mays was a gift to the Baseball world.

Willie Mays was an amazing talent.

20 posted on 05/10/2021 8:38:44 AM PDT by TheConservativeTejano (The Business of America is Business...)
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