RIP SAY HEY KID

[redskinsfan1963]

So much to say, maybe the best ambassador to MLB ever

greatest player ever imo.if not for military service,he,d have the hr record.they used to say his glove was where triples died.glad I was alive to see him play at the end of his career in ny.rip

 

[Brightboat]

Was just thinking about him because this was announced one day ago:

https://www.mlb.com/news/willie-mays-will-not-attend-2024-mlb-rickwood-field-game

Me too

 

[Brightboat]

No one else comes close. But he will never get that recognition.

What? Are you kidding. He is almost universally considered the best player to play the game

 

[Brightboat]

Mays was on deck when Thompson hit “The Shot Heard Round The World”

 

[Brightboat]

It will forever be a stain on the Giants that they traded this great man when he was not useful to them on the field any more. They could have, and should have, found a way to keep him on the team

 

[redskinsfan1963]

It will forever be a stain on the Giants that they traded this great man when he was not useful to them on the field any more. They could have, and should have, found a way to keep him on the team

but Willie got to play In another world series because of it in 73.as a little leaguer,it thrilled 10 year old me a cubs fan.

 

[Brightboat]

but Willie got to play In another world series because of it in 73.as a little leaguer,it thrilled 10 year old me a cubs fan.

That was something good that came from the trade

 

[tzill]

I posted this in the other thread, but want to post it in here too for posterity if that's okay...


He was one of my favorite players when I was a kid growing up in Queens.
Then even more so when he became a NY Met in '72 while I was in HS.
Great memories.


I met him years later here in SF at a book signing for his "Say Hey" autobiography in 1988...and the line to get into the bookstore went all the way down the block and around the next corner near Union Square...then after maybe an hour or so later as it was finally my turn to enter with the next group of 10 folks, he noticed I was wearing a Mets cap and asked why...I told him I was a native NYer/Mets fan and he was one of my baseball idols as a kid.
He smiled, said thank you young man, then shook my hand and asked if I like living in SF...and if I've ever been to Candlestick Park to see a Giants game....I said yes I love this city..and told him that I have been to the "stick" numerous times for Giants games....then he wanted to know which player on the Giants I liked most...I told him it was ex- Mets OFer Kevin Mitchell.....his smile got bigger as he was signing his book I had purchased and said good answer, and that he (Mitchell) was his favorite too.

I will never forget that brief moment and brush with greatness.

Great story, Tai. Thanks for sharing it here. I met him once...he came in for dinner to a restaurant I was working at in the mid 90s. With his Godson. He was as kind as they come. His Godson...total prick.

 

[tzill]

My grandfather was a traveling salesman after the war. His territory was greater NY and New England. Huge NY Giants fan. He followed the career of a 19 year old kid on the 1950 Trenton Giants. That kid became his favorite player. When the kid was promoted from B league (Trenton) to AA (Minneapolis), he arranged to get the Upper Midwest territory so he could attend games in Minnesota. A month later, he managed to get his old territory back when the kid was promoted to the big leagues (New York). Cool story but it gets cooler -- in 1958, Gramps moved to San Francisco to "keep an eye on his daughter," AND the NY kid who was now playing on the West Coast. A few years later, his grandson was born and he took the lad to his first game in 1968 at Candlestick Park, mostly to see the kid (who was 37).

The kid, of course, was Willie Mays. The lad was me.

I like to think that Grandpa is fanboying hard in The World to Come with Willie.

 

[LHG]

greatest player ever imo.if not for military service,he,d have the hr record.they used to say his glove was where triples died.glad I was alive to see him play at the end of his career in ny.rip

I've wondered how many more home runs would he have hit had he not missed those years while serving in Korea. Then again, how different would the record books have been if all the guys who served in WWII played instead?

 

[redskinsfan1963]

I've wondered how many more home runs would he have hit had he not missed those years while serving in Korea. Then again, how different would the record books have been if all the guys who served in WWII played instead?

he ended at 660.well over 714 easy.he had 300 steals.

 

[LHG]

he ended at 660.well over 714 easy.he had 300 steals.

I think it is very possible that he could have gotten to 714 but I really doubt it would have been way over. He only missed about 1.5 seasons (approximately 270 games). Assuming he hit home runs at the same pace as he did in 1954, he would have another 73 home runs to his ledger. That would have put him at 733. Over but, in my opinion, not way over. Of course, this is all splitting hairs. A great ballplayer regardless how many he got to hit out.

 

[redskinsfan1963]

I think it is very possible that he could have gotten to 714 but I really doubt it would have been way over. He only missed about 1.5 seasons (approximately 270 games). Assuming he hit home runs at the same pace as he did in 1954, he would have another 73 home runs to his ledger. That would have put him at 733. Over but, in my opinion, not way over. Of course, this is all splitting hairs. A great ballplayer regardless how many he got to hit out.

733 would have been awesome.would have done in the aaron watch though.

 

[tzill]

he ended at 660.well over 714 easy.he had 300 steals.

I agree. He'd have ended up around 730 or so. Maybe more. Right there with Hank.

 

[Brightboat]

I've wondered how many more home runs would he have hit had he not missed those years while serving in Korea. Then again, how different would the record books have been if all the guys who served in WWII played instead?

Ted Williams missed 5 years with two stints in the military. He'd have been right around 700 as well

 

[SF11704]

It will forever be a stain on the Giants that they traded this great man when he was not useful to them on the field any more. They could have, and should have, found a way to keep him on the team

Hiving lived on NY for most of my life I saw Willie very eaely in his career. Saw him play in the 1954 WS. For many people he was and will always be a New York Giant. IMHO I think that is why he went back to NY to end his career. For many people in NY .... he came home ...

 

[Brightboat]

Hiving lived on NY for most of my life I saw Willie very eaely in his career. Saw him play in the 1954 WS. For many people he was and will always be a New York Giant. IMHO I think that is why he went back to NY to end his career. For many people in NY .... he came home ...

I hope that is right but as a kid in San Francisco it seemed like the Giants dumped him. He was a shell of himself at that time but he was really something in the 60s
That's pretty cool that you got to see him as a New York Giant