I looked it up. Willie Mays was a 6.3 WAR player in 1971 at age 40 with and OPS of .902. Only 18 home runs but 118 walks and an On Base Percentage of .425. Oh, and went 23 and 3 for stolen bases.

At age 41, Mays had an .802 OPS as a part-time player in SF and NYM.

He was washed in 1973 at age 42.
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Hat tip.
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Although I never got to see him play in person, I followed the Giants pretty closely in the box scores of the local paper and of course, The Sporting News. Definitely one of the top 2 players of all time and I’m sad that his time on this earth has come to an end.

Those early 70’s giants teams had some real power. McCovey, Mays and Bonds. Dave Kingman and George Foster too. Before he was traded to the Reds. They lost a NLCS to the Pirates in 1970. Who then went on to beat a great orioles team in the WS.

But my lasting memory of him is from his time with the Mets. 1973 WS. Game 2. Mets blow a 2 run lead in the 9th and for the second time that day, Mays lost his footing in the shit outfield of the (Howard Cosell voice) Oakland (long pause)-Alameda County Coliseum. This helped the A’s make up a 2 run, 2 out deficit in the bottom of the 9th.

In the 10th, Bud Harrelson was at 3rd. Felix Milan (dude choked up on the bat like a kid from little league) hits a fly to LF. Joe Rudi makes the catch and fires to the plate. The throw is on line and Harrelson avoids the tag and APPEARS to be safe.

BUT WAIT!

The umpire - who was laying on the ground, presumably to get a better look, calls Harrelson out. From the on deck circle, Mays is right there as the play goes down and he’s on his knees pleading with the home plate umpire.

Mays eventually singled and scored in the 12 and the Mets won the game. They ended up losing game 7 to the A’s but it was a helluva series.
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We did get the teacher to turn it on the radio one year. And I tried playing sick once, but my mom figured it out mid-morning and took me to school. I asked her too early if I could watch the in the afternoon. 😂
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The Pirates won the WS in 1971, not 1970.
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RIP to one of the best mlb players
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I saw him play when Kansas City hosted the All Star Game in 1973.

F*** I'm old.
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Fyp
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Kurkjan basically did this on pti today to give the corporate appreciation of today
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Two of Alabama’s finest.
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Mays went hitless in his first 24 plate appearances.

The next game Mays homered off Warren Spahn and the rest is history.

Spahn later said, "I'll never forgive myself. We might have gotten rid of Willie forever if I'd only struck him out."
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First legit 5 tool player in the Majors and then came Mantle. Some would say DiMaggio but I don't think he had the speed Mays and Mantle had.
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Babe Ruth was a five-tool player.
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Yep me too.

Great baseball player but even a greater man RIP Willie.
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