The "Say Hey Kid" Is 90 Years Old Today

[CIRF]

Today, May 6th, is Mr. Willie Howard Mays' 90th birthday.

Willie Mays is widely considered the greatest all around player ever to set foot on a major league baseball field. I am solidly in that school of thought!

Willie was probably the best defensive center fielder of all time. He hit 660 home runs, he hit for average and ended his career with a lifetime major league batting average of .302 and he stole 338 bases during the course of his career. He is the Kyle Larson of major league baseball (that should get the pot of $hit stirred up! LOLOL!) He could do everything and do it well!

Willie Mays' heydays were well before my time but I've watched all the video I can find of him plying his trade and I've yet to see anyone who is better when all aspects of the game are considered.

Willie Mays is also a solid human being with class, dignity and humility being his dominant character traits. Not often is a person the best at his chosen endeavor in life but also a high quality human being!

Happy birthday Mr. Mays. May you have many, many more.

[kazual]

When I was a child saw him live and in person him hit a home run over the left field wall in St. Louis, been a fan ever since. And you’re right CIRF, class act. His last year or two in New York were a bit painful to watch, he was no longer the fluid speedster roaming the outfield. That stint convinced me there’s worse things than hanging it up too early. Happy Birthday Willie.

[CIRF]

Kaz, I've read where he hung on too long at the end of his career and I also have read where his coaching exploits were less than stellar after his playing days were over. It's been written that he was so good and he expected all his players to learn the game as easily and as proficiently as he did and when they didn't he was impatient and quickly frustrated. That happens a lot with superstars. Bill Russell and Larry Bird come to mind. Neither were anywhere near as successful as coaches as they were as players.

[kazual]

True CIRF. Traditionally the better career players don’t make the best coaches. Guys that rode the bench or struggled to make the big leagues are generally better students of the game. Seems most apparent in baseball to me.