Willie Mays: The Life, The LegendThe “enormously entertaining and wide-ranging” (Seattle Times) authorized, definitive, New York Times bestselling biography of Willie Mays, the most complete baseball player of all time. Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more than two decades. Now James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player. Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons. |
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Page 13
... ball, and the future home run champion, sitting on his diapered butt, whacked the ball and crawled after it. To get the child walking, Cat leaned him against a chair, rolled a ball across the floor, and yelled, “See the ball! See the ...
... ball, and the future home run champion, sitting on his diapered butt, whacked the ball and crawled after it. To get the child walking, Cat leaned him against a chair, rolled a ball across the floor, and yelled, “See the ball! See the ...
Page 14
... ball. Willie would hold that big round ball and bounce and chase it. If it ever got away from him, he'd start to cry. You couldn't believe how good Willie was, one year old, chasing down that big round ball. Little bit of a thing, but ...
... ball. Willie would hold that big round ball and bounce and chase it. If it ever got away from him, he'd start to cry. You couldn't believe how good Willie was, one year old, chasing down that big round ball. Little bit of a thing, but ...
Page 23
... ball, and Willie just brought us over, and Sarah would open the table for us. She was that kind of person.” For all of her nurturing, Sarah never displayed physical affection with any of the children. As Richardson notes, “I had to ...
... ball, and Willie just brought us over, and Sarah would open the table for us. She was that kind of person.” For all of her nurturing, Sarah never displayed physical affection with any of the children. As Richardson notes, “I had to ...
Page 24
... ball sidearm or even with a submarine type of motion. It was peculiar, but it generated sufficient thrust and felt natural. When the cast came off, he started throwing the ball threequarters overhand. That delivery felt more comfortable ...
... ball sidearm or even with a submarine type of motion. It was peculiar, but it generated sufficient thrust and felt natural. When the cast came off, he started throwing the ball threequarters overhand. That delivery felt more comfortable ...
Page 29
... ball fifty to sixty yards. But he played quarterback, his rippling arm providing uncommon strength, his long fingers allowing him to expertly guide the ball. “He was the greatest passer I've ever seen,” says William Richardson, a friend ...
... ball fifty to sixty yards. But he played quarterback, his rippling arm providing uncommon strength, his long fingers allowing him to expertly guide the ball. “He was the greatest passer I've ever seen,” says William Richardson, a friend ...
Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
| 19 | |
| 28 | |
| 35 | |
| 38 | |
| 55 | |
| 65 | |
The End of an Era | 247 |
Miraloma Drive | 269 |
Welcome to San Francisco | 282 |
Black Barnstormers | 301 |
Cheers for Khrushchev | 307 |
Headwinds | 317 |
Theres a Feel in the Air | 330 |
Acceptance at Last | 346 |
The Savior Arrives | 81 |
Rookie of the Year | 97 |
War Stories | 142 |
Id Play for Free | 163 |
The Catch | 185 |
Ole Mira | 206 |
A New Archetype | 214 |
Jackie Willie and All Deliberate Speed | 223 |
Willie Mays Doesnt Need Help from Anyone | 236 |
Youth Is Served | 378 |
Befriended by a Banker | 398 |
The Peacemaker | 423 |
A Piece of Willies Heart | 447 |
A Doctrine of Brotherhood | 469 |
Baseball Royalty | 488 |
New York New York | 503 |
The End of a Love Affair | 516 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alou Alvin Dark asked at-bat athletes Author interview ball ballpark ballplayer baseball baseball’s baseman began Birmingham Black Barons black players Bobby Thomson called Candlestick career catch catcher center field Cepeda club clubhouse Dark didn’t DiMaggio Dodgers dugout Durocher Durocher’s Einstein Fairfield fans fastball fielder Franks friends glove going Hank Thompson hitter home plate home run homers Horace Stoneham Jackie Robinson knew later left field Leo Durocher lineup looked major league manager Marghuerite Marichal Mays’s McCovey Monte Irvin National League Negro Leagues never outfield pennant pitch pitcher play Polo Grounds RBIs reporters Rigney rookie Roseboro runner Sahadi San Francisco San Francisco Giants Say Hey scored Seals Stadium season Shemano Sporting spring training Stadium Stoneham talk team’s teammates television threw throw told took walked wanted watch Willie Willie’s World Series wrote Yankees York