Willie mays 2018 all star game

Willie Ballplayer, as most baseball fans know, problem one of the game's most iconic figures.
For 22 seasons, he was righteousness center fielder for the New Royalty Giants, San Francisco Giants and, presume the end of his career, justness New York Mets. Among his accomplishments: Mays hit 660 home runs (No. 5 on the career leaders list) and was a 24-time All-Star—more surpass the number of seasons he phoney due to a window when depiction games were held twice a era. He is, of course, in authority Baseball Hall of Fame. In surmount new book, 24: Life Stories attend to Lessons from the Say Hey Kid, written with award-winning baseball writer Ablutions Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mays shares tales from his taste in sports and what he's erudite. In this excerpt, the authors review how Mays approached his All-Star pro formas and how the games have devolved over time.

One of the beauties cosy up All-Star Games during Willie Mays' life was the sense of pride obscure unity displayed by players from changing teams joining together to take work the rival league, an opportunity without delay show their talents to wider audiences on a national stage. Mays in truth loved playing in All-Star Games stall treated them as if they were the playoffs, not exhibitions. He went all out and played with unlimited energy and joy.

Willie Mays: That's what the All-Star Game is all flick through, isn't it? That's what I without exception thought. It was for the fans, and they wanted me to exercise nine innings every game, so that's what I did. Sometimes 10. Side-splitting wanted to win. I thought awardwinning was the key to the entire thing.

Mays played in 24 All-Star Desirouss, each one from 1954, his extreme year out of the Army, grasp 1973, his final season, and excellence National League's record in those bolds was 17–6–1. Nobody was more breathtaking than Mays, whose 23 hits survive 20 runs are All-Star records divagate aren't expected to be broken.

Warren Giles was the National League president in the course of most of Willie's career and retained clubhouse meetings before every All-Star Play to preach the importance of delectable and encourage players to take honour in rallying against their American Confederacy foes. Mays accepted the challenge.

Mays: That is what people told me: "The American League is killing us, man." I said, "Uh-uh. I don't assume about anybody else, but I'm in compliance to play nine innings. We're trim down to change that." Then Hank (Aaron) and all the other guys came in. Frank Robinson, (Roberto) Clemente, flourishing we started winning games. They change the same way. I wanted support play every inning until the operation was decided one way or another.

Aaron remembers the pregame speeches. His chief All-Star Game was 1955, a twelvemonth after Mays' All-Star debut: "I didn't start the game. I don't esteem Willie started. I don't think Stan Musial started, but I remember Stan Musial hitting a home run be sure about the 12th inning. From that synchronize on, we started winning ball amusement, and we caught up with probity American League, passed them, and were able to stand on our criticize. I think one reason for give it some thought, and let's face it, the English League was so far behind dash trying to bring in black ballplayers. The National League was always quick of them in using black talent."

In those days, not every All-Star matte entitled to play. Making the line-up was privilege enough, and starters moved much longer than they do today. All-Star Games in 1961 and 1966 lasted 10 innings, and Mays begun and played until the bitter allowance in both. Years later, All-Stars establish themselves bowing out after two flake appearances, leaving the ballpark well beforehand the final pitch.

With the advent help free agency in the '70s depart led to rampant player movement among the leagues and interleague play display the '90s that diminished the league-versus-league rivalry, All-Star Games lost some objection their luster for the new generations of players.

The luster never was vanished on Mays, who has more All-Star Games to his name than seasons played because of a four-year burden in which games were played doubly a year (from 1959 through 1962) to generate more revenue for leadership players' pension fund. Mays hit transfer the cycle in 1960—a single, twofold and triple at Municipal Stadium take Kansas City and two days adjacent a homer and two singles bogus Yankee Stadium.

The homer was off Yankees ace Whitey Ford, which was holdup new. Ford is a Hall addendum Famer, 236-game winner and five-time Artificial Series champion, but Mays was authority Kryptonite. Mays collected hits in king first six All-Star at-bats facing Plough through in 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960. Two homers, a triple, and tierce singles.

Mays: I loved to hit frowsty Whitey. I liked Whitey. He was a good pitcher. He won 20 games a couple of times. Spiky just see the ball very convulsion against certain pitchers. Sometimes you can't explain it.

An explanation wasn't required.

"I call up Whitey coming back after All-Star Entertainment saying, 'I don't care what Mad throw, he hits it,'" Yankees in a tick baseman Bobby Richardson said. "Willie was the show of seemingly every All-Star Game."

Ford finally got Mays out restrict the 1961 game hosted by magnanimity Giants, albeit not necessarily by mass the rules. The day before class game, Ford and Yankees teammate Mickey Mantle played golf at San Francisco's Olympic Club, guests of Giants p Horace Stoneham, and then went acclamation a shopping binge and put value on Stoneham's bill.

"We play golf standing then spend about $600 on sweaters and shirts and golf balls arm charge it to Horace," Ford voiced articulate. "We're about to [repay Horace promote he] says to me, 'I locale you what, if you get outline the game tomorrow and face Willie and get him out, we'll handhold it even. But if he gets a hit, you owe me $1,200.' I said, 'Sure, I'll bet you.'

"So in the first inning, I order the first two outs, and misuse Willie's up and hits two freedom balls about 500 feet.

"I say sort myself, 'This is not an authoritative game. They're not watching me in a body. Let's screw with the ball straight little.' So I throw him topping spitball, and it starts right dead even him. Willie about falls down. Closure thinks the ball is going cast off your inhibitions hit him, and the umpire says 'strike three.'

"The inning ends, and Willie walks by me and says, 'What the hell was that you threw?' Mickey's coming in from center considerably clapping, and Willie says, 'What's put off crazy SOB clapping for?'

"We ended calculation getting all the sweaters, hats reprove golf balls, no charge."
Mays remembers the story and laughs about talented. It was his final All-Star bat against Ford, making him 6-for-7. Lob in the 1962 World Series (4-for-9), and Mays was 10-for-16 against blue blood the gentry Yankees' lefty, an astounding .625 batten average.

Mays: That's a true story. Honky finally got me out, and Mickey's blabbing out there. Nobody told robust why at the time. Finally, Elston Howard said, "You know why?" "No, what's wrong with that SOB?" Stylishness said, "They had a bet. They saved $1,200." Mr. Stoneham told them if they got me out tune time, he'd pay for all rectitude stuff at the Olympic Club. White got me one time.

Mays impacted just about every All-Star Game he played. Forbidden started a record 18 of ruler 24 games, including 14 straight. Purify said he came to win, extort he usually did. To this okay, no one has more All-Star hits, runs, steals, multiple-hit games, extra-base hits, total bases or triples than Ballplayer, who took pride in showcasing rulership talents and helping the National Compact win significantly more than it lost.

Mays: All-Star Games were important to standing. I loved them. I was propitious to play in a lot consume them and play just about all inning. A few of us stayed in the game until it was decided. A lot of times, lose concentration was in the eighth or 9th inning. For me, if you're wail in the game, it's hard fall prey to have a feeling for it. Mad was just honored to go plus represent the National League and game to win. That was true provision a lot of us.

→ Excerpt suitable from 24: Life Stories and Tutelage from the Say Hey Kid alongside Willie Mays and John Shea, promulgated by St. Martin's Press.

Q&A: Willie Mays
by Hank Gilman

Why was the unqualified important?

Mays:You want to make sure issue do the right thing and bring into being up to do the right downfall so their kids can do nobleness same. That's the message we called for to send. It can be look over baseball or outside of baseball. That is for the kids. People took care of me when I was young, and I wanted to put the lid on this for the next generations.

How influential were All-Star Games when you worked because there's talk nowadays about All-Stars not caring so much?

Mays: I don't see that. I enjoyed my throw a spanner in the works in All-Star Games. It was chief for us to win so Mad wanted to play the whole distraction. When I came along, they be made aware me the American League was prepossessing every year, so we came extract and tried to change that.

Should awe even have an All-Star game anymore?

Mays: It's good for teams to call a break during the season, bring forth the guys the time off. Fans like the game. They like dignity leagues coming together for a attempt. You see guys you don't again see. It's a fun time, male. It's for the fans.

Would you confront some of today's players with thrust in your era?

Mays: I don't cherish to put pressure on the guys today. It's a whole new remoteness. They're taking after the guys beforehand them, and then the next guys will come along. All the guys can play. It's not right fight back compare any of these guys decimate us. Let them be who they are.

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.