Willie Mays Biography

Willie Howard Mays, Jr., nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid" is an American former professional baseball player who spent the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a center fielder with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.

Mays won two MVP awards and shares the record of most All-Star Games played with Hank Aaron & Stan Musial. Ted Williams said, "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays." Mays ended his career with 660 home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. He was a center fielder and won a record-tying 12 Gold Gloves starting the year the award was introduced six seasons into his career.

Willie Mays' career statistics and longevity in the pre-PED era, the more recent acknowledgement of Mays as perhaps the finest five-tool player ever, and the overwhelming consensus of many surveys and other expert analyses carefully examining Mays' relative performance have led to a growing opinion that Mays was possibly the greatest all-around baseball player of all-time. Source: Wikipedia

Marriages

• 1956-02-14
  MLB center fielder Willie Mays (24) weds Margherite Wendell Chapman in NYC, New York
• 1971-11-27
  MLB center fielder Willie Mays (40) weds Mae Louise Allen in Mexico City

Willie Mays Timeline

• 1951-05-25
  NY Giant Willie Mays 1st major league game (goes 0 for 5)
• 1951-05-28
  After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his 1st major league home run
• 1953-05-13
  NY Giants Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple
• 1954-09-14
  Giants' Willie Mays gets 82nd extra-base hit, breaks Mel Ott's record
• 1954-09-29
  Willie Mays famous over-the-shoulder catch of Vic Wertz' 460' drive
• 1955-09-18
  Willie Mays hits record tying 9th HR at Ebbets Field (ties Joe Adcock)
• 1955-09-20
  Willie Mays (Giants) homers off Vern Law (Pirates) in both ends of DH
• 1955-09-20
  Willie Mays is 7th player to reach 50 HRS in a season
• 1961-04-30
  SF Giant Willie Mays hits 4 HRs in a game
• 1961-06-29
  Willie Mays is 4th major leaguer with 3 or more HRs twice in a season
• 1962-04-30
  Willie Mays hits 4 HRs
• 1963-02-20
  Willie Mays (SF Giants) signs a record $100,000 per year contract
• 1963-07-02
  Giant Willie Mays' HR in 16th inning gives them a 1-0 win over Braves
• 1963-07-09
  All star MVP: Willie Mays (SF Giants)
• 1965-05-04
  Willie Mays 512th HR breaks Mel Ott's 511th NL record
• 1965-08-29
  Willie Mays sets NL record for HRs in a month with his 17th of August
• 1965-09-13
  Willie Mays's 500th HR (off Don Nottebart), Giants 11th straight win
• 1965-11-09
  Willie Mays named NL MVP
• 1966-02-11
  SF Giant Willie Mays signs highest contract, $130,000 per year
• 1966-05-05
  Willie Mays hit his 512th HR
• 1966-08-17
  Willie Mays takes 2nd place on all-time HR list
• 1968-07-09
  All star MVP: Willie Mays (SF Giants)
• 1969-09-22
  SF Giant Willie Mays, becomes second player to hit 600 home runs
• 1970-01-17
  Sporting News names Willie Mays as Player of the Decade for the 1960s
• 1970-07-18
  Willie Mays becomes 10th baseball player to get 3,000 hits
• 1971-05-30
  Willie Mays hits his 638th HR, sets NL record of 1,950 runs scored
• 1971-06-06
  Willie Mays hits record 22nd & last extra inning HR
• 1972-05-11
  Giants trade Willie Mays to Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams & cash
• 1972-05-14
  In Willie Mays 1st game as a NY Met his homer beats SF Giants, 5-4
• 1973-07-19
  Willie Mays named to NL all star team for 24th time (ties Musial)
• 1973-08-17
  Willie Mays hits 660th & last HR (off Don Gullett of Cincinnati)
• 1973-09-20
  Willie Mays announces retirement at end of 1973 season
• 1973-09-25
  Mets beat Expos 2-1 on Willie Mays Night at Shea Stadium
• 1973-10-14
  Willie Mays last hit, as Mets beat A's in World Series game 2 A's Mike Andrews makes 2 errors, prompting owner Finley to remove him
• 1979-01-23
  Willie Mays elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
• 1979-08-05
  Willie Mays, Warren Giles, & Hack Wilson inducted in Hall of Fame
• 1985-03-18
  Commissioner Peter Ueberroth reinstates Willie Mays & Mickey Mantle
• 1990-09-22
  Andre Dawson steals his 300th base & is only player other than Willie Mays to have 300 HRs, 300 steals & 2,000 hits

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