RIP Willie Mays

Mays once appeared as himself on Bewitched around 1966. Samantha explained to Darrin that of course he was a warlock....there was no other explanation for his skills.

 

I assume you mean the book with John Shea. I got it last year and it was very good.

 

With the loss of Mays, I really feel for the Giants’ Lamont Wade. He has been an advocate for the Rickwood and was really looking forward to playing. Then he got hurt. As a Black man who relishes the history of the Negro League, I’m sure he’d wish more than anything to have a chance to play and play for Mays. Thursday is going to have so much meaning now. I just feel bad for Wade missing out on this.

 

RIP.

 

My dad saw Mays play one of the last few games of his career. It was one of the first two games in the 1973 NLCS in Cincinnati. I think he only got to pinch hit. I remember the old man telling me "I got to watch Willie Mays play today," when all I was concerned with was Johnny Bench. I watched the game on TV. Don't remember a thing about it, other than my dad telling me he saw Mays play. Today I reminded my dad of the story. Like so many things, he had no recollection of going to that game. He was glad I "remembered" it for him.

 

John Shea's book? Been rereading it in the runup to the Rickwood game. Fantastic book. Read about the Marichal-Roseboro fight last night, and his actions may have prevented a riot and a race war.

 

We are now down to just two living Negro Leagues players. Bill Greason (who later had a cup of coffee with the Cardinals and is scheduled to throw out Thursday’s first pitch) and Ron Teasley.

 

Greason is still active as a minister in Birmingham. Excellent read (may be paywalled).
Road to Rickwood: Why everyone needs to know American hero Bill Greason

Road to Rickwood: Why everyone needs to know American hero Bill Greason

 

A legend. On the Mount Rushmore of the game.

Great tributes here. RIP.

 

We didn't go to a lot of games when I was young and, heck, the Giants only televised games from LA and, when the NL expanded, San Diego for the longest time but I knew who Willie Mays was, of course.

I did go to an old-timers game at Candlestick in the late 80s, a rematch of the 1954 World Series vs the then-Indians. They even had Leo Durocher manage the Giants. Last inning, Mays leads off and scores the tying run. A couple of batters later, even though it's not his turn, Durocher sends Mays up again, and he gets the game winning hit, of course.