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Full Name: Willie Howard Mays Primary Position: OF,CF
Height/Weight: 5' 10.5"/170 First Game: May 25, 1951
Birthdate: May 6, 1931 Final Game: September 9, 1973
Birthplace: Westfield, Alabama MLB Experience: 22 years
Bat/Throw: Right/Right
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Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979

Biography[]

Willie Mays (Willie Howard Mays) was born on May 6, 1931 in Westfield, Alabama. He made his Major League debut on May 25, 1951 for the New York Giants. In 1951, his rookie year, he hit .274 with 20 home runs and 68 RBI. Mays played for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets over the course of his 22 year career.

There is some disagreement on what was Willie Mays's most productive season. Some believe that it was 1962, when he slugged 49 home runs, hit for a .304 average and knocked in 141 runs. However, others believe that it was 1957, when he slugged 35 home runs, stole 38 bases, hit for a .333 average and knocked in 97 runs.

In the 1954 World Series, Mays made a defensive play which was so spectacular, it is only known as "The Catch".

The "Red Juice": Amphetamine Use and Distribution[]

Mays is alleged to have used amphetamines during his playing days, and distributed them as well. During the Pittsburgh Drug Trials, John Milner testified that Willie Mays had a bottle of "red juice," or liquid amphetamines, in his locker when they played for the New York Mets.[1] While Milner did not state that Mays gave (or sold) him any of the "red juice", ESPN claims that Mays introduced Milner to the drug.[2]

Statistics[]

Batting Stats[]

Year Team G AB R H HR RBI AVG OBP SLG 2B 3B BB SO HBP SH SB IBB GDP
1951 NY N 121 464 59 127 20 68 .274 .356 .472 22 5 57 60 2 1 7 0 11
1952 NY N 34 127 17 30 4 23 .236 .326 .409 2 4 16 17 1 0 4 0 2
1954 NY N 151 565 119 195 41 110 .345 .411 .667 33 13 66 57 2 0 8 14 12
1955 NY N 152 580 123 185 51 127 .319 .400 .659 18 13 79 60 4 0 24 13 12
1956 NY N 152 578 101 171 36 84 .296 .369 .557 27 8 68 65 1 0 40 20 16
1957 NY N 152 585 112 195 35 97 .333 .407 .626 26 20 76 62 1 0 38 15 14
1958 SF N 152 600 121 208 29 96 .347 .419 .583 33 11 78 56 1 0 31 12 11
1959 SF N 151 575 125 180 34 104 .313 .381 .583 43 5 65 58 2 0 27 9 11
1960 SF N 153 595 107 190 29 103 .319 .381 .555 29 12 61 70 4 0 25 11 15
1961 SF N 154 572 129 176 40 123 .308 .393 .584 32 3 81 77 2 0 18 15 14
1962 SF N 162 621 130 189 49 141 .304 .384 .615 36 5 78 85 4 0 18 11 19
1963 SF N 157 596 115 187 38 103 .314 .380 .582 32 7 66 83 2 0 8 5 15
1964 SF N 157 578 121 171 47 111 .296 .383 .607 21 9 82 72 1 1 19 13 11
1965 SF N 157 558 118 177 52 112 .317 .398 .645 21 3 76 71 0 2 9 16 11
1966 SF N 152 552 99 159 37 103 .288 .368 .556 29 4 70 81 2 1 5 11 13
1967 SF N 141 486 83 128 22 70 .263 .334 .453 22 2 51 92 2 2 6 7 12
1968 SF N 148 498 84 144 23 79 .289 .372 .488 20 5 67 81 2 0 12 7 13
1969 SF N 117 403 64 114 13 58 .283 .362 .437 17 3 49 71 3 0 6 7 8
1970 SF N 139 478 94 139 28 83 .291 .390 .506 15 2 79 90 3 0 5 3 7
1971 SF N 136 417 82 113 18 61 .271 .425 .482 24 5 112 123 3 1 23 11 8
1972 SF N 19 49 8 9 0 3 .184 .394 .224 2 0 17 5 0 1 3 1 4
1972 NY N 69 195 27 52 8 19 .267 .402 .446 9 1 43 43 1 3 1 5 5
1972 TOT N 88 244 35 61 8 22 .250 .400 .402 11 1 60 48 1 4 4 6 9
1973 NY N 66 209 24 44 6 25 .211 .303 .344 10 0 27 47 1 1 1 0 7
Total 2992 10881 2062 3283 660 1903 .302 .384 .557 523 140 1464 1526 44 13 338 206 251

Fielding Stats[]

Year Team POS G GS INN PO A ERR DP TP PB SB CS PkO AVG
1951 NY N OF 121 0 0 353 12 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 .976
1952 NY N OF 34 0 0 109 6 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 .991
1954 NY N OF 151 151 1346.1 448 13 7 9 0 0 0 0 0 .985
1954 NY N CF 151 151 1346.1 449 13 7 9 0 0 0 0 0 .985
1955 NY N OF 152 0 0 407 23 8 8 0 0 0 0 0 .982
1956 NY N OF 152 0 0 415 14 9 6 0 0 0 0 0 .979
1957 NY N OF 150 149 1353.2 422 14 9 5 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1957 NY N CF 150 149 1353.2 419 14 9 4 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1958 SF N OF 151 150 1352 429 17 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1958 SF N CF 151 150 1352 427 15 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1959 SF N OF 147 143 1281.1 353 6 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 .984
1959 SF N CF 147 143 1281.1 351 6 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 .986
1960 SF N CF 152 152 1348 391 11 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1960 SF N OF 152 152 1348 392 12 8 2 0 0 0 0 0 .981
1961 SF N OF 153 151 1335 385 7 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1961 SF N CF 153 151 1335 385 7 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1962 SF N OF 162 159 1393.2 429 6 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 .991
1962 SF N CF 162 159 1393.2 425 6 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 .991
1963 SF N CF 157 155 1387 398 8 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 .981
1963 SF N SS 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1963 SF N OF 157 155 1387 397 7 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 .981
1964 SF N CF 155 151 1346.1 364 9 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 .987
1964 SF N 1B 1 0 7 6 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1964 SF N 3B 1 0 5.2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1964 SF N OF 155 151 1346.1 370 10 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 .984
1964 SF N SS 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1965 SF N RF 4 3 24.1 5 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .875
1965 SF N OF 151 148 1275.1 337 13 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 .983
1965 SF N LF 1 1 9 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1965 SF N CF 148 144 1242 323 10 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 .985
1966 SF N CF 145 142 1247 358 8 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 .981
1966 SF N RF 5 5 38 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1966 SF N OF 150 147 1286 370 8 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 .982
1966 SF N LF 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1967 SF N OF 134 123 1075.1 277 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .976
1967 SF N CF 134 123 1075.1 278 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .976
1968 SF N CF 141 128 1134.2 302 7 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 .978
1968 SF N 1B 1 1 9 9 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1968 SF N OF 142 129 1143.2 301 7 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 .978
1968 SF N RF 1 1 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1969 SF N RF 2 2 14 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1969 SF N OF 108 96 867 199 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 .976
1969 SF N 1B 1 1 9 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1969 SF N CF 106 94 853 202 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 .976
1970 SF N CF 128 117 1040 272 6 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 .975
1970 SF N 1B 5 4 35 34 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1970 SF N OF 128 117 1040 269 6 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 .975
1971 SF N CF 84 77 654.1 193 3 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 .970
1971 SF N 1B 48 39 371.2 384 27 11 43 0 0 0 0 0 .974
1971 SF N OF 84 77 654.1 192 2 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 .970
1972 SF N CF 14 13 113.1 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1972 SF N OF 14 13 113.1 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
1972 NY N 1B 10 9 84 75 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 .987
1972 NY N OF 50 44 381.2 109 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 .974
1972 NY N CF 50 44 381.2 107 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 .973
1972 TOT N OF 64 57 495 138 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 .979
1972 TOT N CF 64 57 495 137 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 .979
1973 NY N 1B 17 14 121.1 143 4 3 9 0 0 0 0 0 .980
1973 NY N OF 45 41 338.2 103 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .991
1973 NY N CF 45 41 338.2 103 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .990
Total CF 2373 2284 20223.1 5777 134 111 41 0 0 0 0 0 .982
Total RF 12 11 85.1 21 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .958
Total 1B 83 68 637 657 37 15 61 0 0 0 0 0 .979
Total LF 2 1 10 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Total SS 2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Total 3B 1 0 5.2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000
Total OF 2843 2296 20318.2 7095 195 141 60 0 0 0 0 0 .981

Transactions[]

  • Signed as an amateur free agent by New York Giants (June 20, 1950).
  • Traded by San Francisco Giants to New York Mets in exchange for Charlie Williams and $50000 (May 11, 1972).

Trivia[]

See also[]

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