Willie Mays has left the building

[BastillePark]

Lived to 93 and one of the greats in the history of baseball. RIP

[Principled Man]

Christian Yelich just hit his 200th career home run.  He is now only 460 behind Willie Mays.  
 

I wish I had been born about ten years earlier, just so I could have watched Willie play.  
 

He was The Man.  

[Inthend]

Definitely one of the all time greats. Have enjoyed reading some of the articles recapping his career. Retired just a couple years before I was old enough to start following. I'll spend some time watching some of his highlights tonight.

 

[Nova Carmina]

RIP, and thanks for the memories

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

RIP to one of the all time greats.

 

[blueschica]

We lived in the San Francisco area for a few years when I was young, and one of my nicest memories is someone giving my dad Giants tickets for an afternoon game.  My sisters were in school or babies, so I got to go with him.  I remember the food the most   but we did see Juan Marichal pitch and saw Willie Mays hit a home run in Candlestick Park.    Thank you for the lovely memory, Willie!  RIP.

[edhunter]

I started collecting baseball cards in 77, when I was 8. A year or two later a kid up the street gave me a stack of his in a rubber band. They were 73’s, which were the oldest cards I had at the time. My first Willie Mays card was in that stack. I didn’t realize he had finished his career with the Mets. I haven’t collected since 86, but I still have that Mays card along with my Mantle and Aaron cards in a special binder. 

[laughedatbytime]

Saw him play, but never really saw HIM play.   By the 73 WS he was a shell of his former self and he did not have a good WS.   He actually had a few games from his Negro Leagues career added to his final total.  In that he played, at first in a partially integrated league and then a fully integrated one for most of his career, the appellation greatest ballplayer of all time seems to fit  him as well as anyone if not better.  He lost a couple of his prime years to military service or his career stats would have been even more impressive.   RIP.

 

[Principled Man]

[laughedatbytime]

Willie with Vin Scully in 2016

 

 

https://x.com/korkedbats/status/1803238532951024052

 

[TheAccountant]

Farewell and RIP to perhaps the last of the boys of summer - a player who truly belonged to another day and age (and I mean all of that in nothing but the best of ways).

 

Interesting story I once heard.  The Red Sox were owned by a horrible racist back in the day.  They had the great Ted Williams but not enough else.  Story I once heard (not 100% certain if its true but I will repeat it here since it sounded possible) is that the Red Sox (and I am a Mets, Cubs and Red Sox fan) had the chance to sign Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Mays.  Due to the racism of their idiot owner they passed on them all.  Think about that potential line up if the story is true.  They could have had and outfield of Williams, Mays and Aaron.  Plus Robinson.  What a devastating line up.  How much sooner would the curse of the babe have been ended?  How many fewer titles would the Yankees have won?

 

Any way, they passed on all of them and they all did darn well.  Now they are all back together.  RIP 

[laughedatbytime]

22 minutes ago, TheAccountant said:

Farewell and RIP to perhaps the last of the boys of summer - a player who truly belonged to another day and age (and I mean all of that in nothing but the best of ways).

 

Interesting story I once heard.  The Red Sox were owned by a horrible racist back in the day.  They had the great Ted Williams but not enough else.  Story I once heard (not 100% certain if its true but I will repeat it here since it sounded possible) is that the Red Sox (and I am a Mets, Cubs and Red Sox fan) had the chance to sign Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and Mays.  Due to the racism of their idiot owner they passed on them all.  Think about that potential line up if the story is true.  They could have had and outfield of Williams, Mays and Aaron.  Plus Robinson.  What a devastating line up.  How much sooner would the curse of the babe have been ended?  How many fewer titles would the Yankees have won?

 

Any way, they passed on all of them and they all did darn well.  Now they are all back together.  RIP 

I've heard the same.   Tom Yawkey is the owner in question, and the Red Sox were the last team to have a black player, Pumpsie Green, in 1959.   

[laughedatbytime]

Saw this and thought it was pretty funny.

 

https://x.com/BrownieAthletic/status/1803460507816566872

[Principled Man]

1 hour ago, TheAccountant said:

How much sooner would the curse of the Babe have been ended?  

 

Such actions by team owners prove that they create their own curses.

[Rhyta]

5 hours ago, laughedatbytime said:

Willie with Vin Scully in 2016

 

 

https://x.com/korkedbats/status/1803238532951024052

 

Oh how my Mom would have loved to see this.  She was a diehard Dodger fan and loved Vince Scully to pieces.  My summer memories in junior high were seeing her sitting by the radio listening to the games.  I never shared her passion for baseball but I knew who Willie Mays was and Vince Scully too.

RIP to a legend

[blueschica]

10 hours ago, Principled Man said:

 

Thank you for posting this!  What a great photo!         #retire21