The story of baseball can’t be informed with out Willie Mays

When somebody who was bigger than life passes on from this life, you typically hear folks say that it is “unattainable to place into phrases” simply how necessary that individual individual was. Whereas that could be one hundred pc true relating to the legendary Willie Mays, it’s additionally true that perhaps phrases are one of the best ways to speak about The Say Hey Child and his influence on the sport of baseball. Merely put, you possibly can’t inform the story of baseball with out speaking about Willie Mays — it’s unattainable to overstate simply how a lot of an influence he had on the sport.

I might go on and on about his on-field exploits. In the event you’ve watched baseball on TV for, let’s say, the previous 70 years then there’s a close to one hundred pc probability that y’all have seen the astonishing over-the-shoulder catch that he made within the abyss that was deep middle area on the Polo Grounds throughout the 1954 World Sequence one million occasions now. Even now, watching him make that catch is rather like how commentator Jack Brickhouse describes it: It’s like taking a look at an optical phantasm.

It’s additionally a kind of performs that solely will get extra spectacular the extra you watch baseball because it turns into clear that this isn’t the kind of factor that occurs typically — or in any respect, actually. Jim Edmonds made a completely unimaginable catch again in 1997 — a catch that was instantly in comparison with what Willie Mays had completed 43 years earlier and each catches are nonetheless firmly implanted in each baseball fan’s creativeness right here in 2024. What units Willie Mays other than the remainder of the pack is that in case you ask him, that wasn’t even his greatest catch.

As a substitute, he informed Bob Costas on MLB Community again in 2010 that his precise greatest catch occurred on April 11, 1970. That was when he took flight and robbed not solely Bobby Tolan of what would’ve at the least been further bases however he additionally robbed Bobby Bonds of constructing the catch on his personal deserves. That’s as a result of Mays sped in direction of the place the ball was going to land, took flight and made just like the Jumpman emblem about 18 years earlier than the Jumpman emblem got here into existence with a view to rob the house run and preserve the Giants up 1-0 at that time within the recreation. If the person himself says that this was the perfect catch that he ever made, then who’re we to argue with him? I’m not about to argue with Willie Mays!

The truth that Mays himself was one hundred pc sure that he was going to make that catch says every little thing concerning the distinctive kind of ballplayer that Mays was — proper together with the truth that each he and Bonds stayed within the recreation after Mays basically knocked himself out whereas making the catch. Every thing about that sequence of occasions reveals simply how a lot Willie Mays cherished baseball and the truth that we’re nonetheless speaking about it to today is an instance of how the sport cherished him again. It’s additionally wonderful to think about that he did this when he was 39 years previous!

The circus catch occurred throughout the season earlier than his age-40 season in 1971, which is when he proceeded hit .271/.425/.482 with a .406 wOBA, 18 residence runs and a 157 wRC+ for the season. His 5.9 fWAR as a 40-year-old in 1971 remains to be the perfect single season by a participant 40-or-older in MLB historical past. Most baseball gamers might solely dream of manufacturing a six-win season at any level of their profession however Willie Mays was not like “most baseball gamers.” There was just one Say Hey Child and Willie Mays completely left a novel mark on the sport of baseball like few different gamers might.

Photograph by Charles Hoff/NY Every day Information Archive by way of Getty Photographs

Once I say that the story of baseball can’t be informed with out Willie Mays, I actually and really imply it. If you wish to discuss Barry Bonds and what he did to the document books, you possibly can’t go lengthy with out mentioning that Willie Mays was his godfather and served as a continuing supply of knowledge and inspiration for the longer term profession chief in residence runs. If you wish to discuss Ken Griffey Jr., it’s unattainable to take action with out ultimately mentioning how The Say Hey Child influenced The Child on each an expert and a private stage. Griffey and Bonds are two absolute titans of the game and as nice as they have been, they’ll even be the primary two folks to say that Willie Mays was the perfect to ever do it within the recreation of baseball.

The story of baseball additionally contains Negro League baseball and Willie Mays will perpetually be part of that legacy as effectively. Despite the fact that he’s solely credited with 13 video games performed in 1948 with the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League, these 13 video games are actually formally thought-about to be the start of Mays’ large league profession. It will’ve been extremely becoming to see Willie Mays in attendance for the massive recreation at Rickwood Subject on Thursday. It’s the place the legend began his illustrious profession and it will’ve been an unimaginable second to see him get acknowledged on the newly-revitalized gem of a ballpark with the eyes of the baseball world set squarely upon Birmingham, Alabama.

As a substitute, the Rickwood recreation will now certainly be a tribute to not simply all the Negro League baseball gamers from the previous however it should particularly function tribute to Willie Mays and the influence that he left on the game of baseball. Whereas he wouldn’t have been capable of make the journey had he held on for a bit longer, that doesn’t change the truth that he can be remembered just like the baseball royalty that he was. The popularity that he’ll obtain gained’t be sufficient, similar to the popularity that the baseball world gave him wasn’t sufficient even whereas he was nonetheless with us.

That’s not for lack of making an attempt — I’m positive that no matter is in retailer for the sport at Rickwood Subject on Thursday can be spectacular and one good factor I can say concerning the tradition of baseball is that Willie Mays positively bought his roses from the baseball group whereas he might nonetheless odor them. This sport really idolizes its legends and Willie Mays was handled as such even lengthy after he had retired. We’re speaking a couple of legend who was banned from baseball for all times for merely taking over a job as a part-time greeter at a on line casino, solely to get reinstated (alongside Mickey Mantle) nearly instantly as quickly as Bowie Kuhn’s successor took the job. The brand new commissioner didn’t even make any modifications to the foundations or something like that — this was only a case of restoring the sensation. Baseball simply ain’t baseball with out guys like Mickey Mantle and particularly Willie Mays and that’s why they have been each reinstated.

Willie Mays lived to be 93 and it’s apparent that he made probably the most of each single one of many years that was blessed to dwell for. There are only a few baseball gamers who captured the creativeness like The Say Hey Child did when he performed. He continued to dwell on as a legend lengthy after he completed taking part in and to say that his influence on the sport remains to be being felt to today could be a whole and utter understatement. The sport misplaced a legend along with his passing however because the fictional model of Babe Ruth put it, “Legends by no means die.” So long as baseball exists then Willie Mays can be remembered. In the event you don’t imagine me, then come again to this text in 2054 once they’re celebrating 100 years since that catch on the Polo Grounds after which we are able to chat once more.