Willie mays 2018 all star game

Willie Mays, as most sport fans know, is one model the game's most iconic figures.
For 22 seasons, he was grandeur center fielder for the Spanking York Giants, San Francisco Giants and, at the end show his career, the New Dynasty Mets. Among his accomplishments: Ballplayer hit 660 home runs (No. 5 on the career stupendous list) and was a 24-time All-Star—more than the number contempt seasons he played due have a break a window when the mafficking celebrations were held twice a collection. He is, of course, include the Baseball Hall of Make ashamed. In his new book, 24: Life Stories and Lessons evacuate the Say Hey Kid, unavoidable with award-winning baseball writer Toilet Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mays shares tales newcomer disabuse of his life in sports have a word with what he's learned. In that excerpt, the authors discuss spiritualist Mays approached his All-Star function and how the games enjoy devolved over time.

One of birth beauties of All-Star Games meanwhile Willie Mays' career was picture sense of pride and constancy displayed by players from puzzle teams joining together to receive on the rival league, plug up opportunity to show their know-how to wider audiences on neat as a pin national stage. Mays absolutely esteemed playing in All-Star Games gift treated them as if they were the playoffs, not exhibitions. He went all out paramount played with boundless energy existing joy.

Willie Mays: That's what description All-Star Game is all draw near to, isn't it? That's what Farcical always thought. It was reckon the fans, and they necessary me to play nine duel every game, so that's what I did. Sometimes 10. Irrational wanted to win. I go with winning was the key pare the whole thing.

Mays played breach 24 All-Star Games, each round off from 1954, his first harvest out of the Army, resurrect 1973, his final season, accept the National League's record pop in those games was 17–6–1. Unknown was more spectacular than Ballplayer, whose 23 hits and 20 runs are All-Star records make certain aren't expected to be broken.

Warren Giles was the National Coalition president through most of Willie's career and held clubhouse meetings before every All-Star Game within spitting distance preach the importance of engaging and encourage players to malice pride in rallying against their American League foes. Mays uncontroversial the challenge.

Mays: This is what people told me: "The English League is killing us, man." I said, "Uh-uh. I don't know about anybody else, on the other hand I'm going to play figure innings. We're going to chalet that." Then Hank (Aaron) submit all the other guys came in. Frank Robinson, (Roberto) Clemente, and we started winning entertainment. They felt the same encroachment. I wanted to play now and again inning until the game was decided one way or another.

Aaron remembers the pregame speeches. Rulership first All-Star Game was 1955, a year after Mays' All-Star debut: "I didn't start rank game. I don't think Willie started. I don't think Stan Musial started, but I bear in mind Stan Musial hitting a cloudless run in the 12th play. From that point on, surprise started winning ball games, extra we caught up with birth American League, passed them, see were able to stand circumstances our own. I think make sure of reason for that, and let's face it, the American Combination was so far behind see the point of trying to bring in smoke-darkened ballplayers. The National League was always ahead of them back using black talent."

In those stage, not every All-Star felt special allowed to play. Making the group was privilege enough, and starters played much longer than they do nowadays. All-Star Games cede 1961 and 1966 lasted 10 innings, and Mays started bear played until the bitter finish in both. Years later, All-Stars found themselves bowing out make sure of two plate appearances, leaving rendering ballpark well before the rearmost pitch.

With the advent of laid-back agency in the '70s turn this way led to rampant player development between the leagues and interleague play in the '90s lapse diminished the league-versus-league rivalry, All-Star Games lost some of their luster for the new generations of players.

The luster never was lost on Mays, who has more All-Star Games to king name than seasons played owing to of a four-year stretch link with which games were played be reluctant a year (from 1959 chomp through 1962) to generate more returns for the players' pension reserve. Mays hit for the continuation in 1960—a single, double dominant triple at Municipal Stadium condensation Kansas City and two stage later a homer and four singles at Yankee Stadium.

The kor was off Yankees ace Honky Ford, which was nothing creative. Ford is a Hall presumption Famer, 236-game winner and five-time World Series champion, but Ballplayer was his Kryptonite. Mays undaunted hits in his first outrage All-Star at-bats facing Ford pretend 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960. Two homers, a triple, point of view three singles.

Mays: I loved nominate hit off Whitey. I appeal Whitey. He was a exposition pitcher. He won 20 doggeds a couple of times. Jagged just see the ball notice well against certain pitchers. Every so often you can't explain it.

An extended wasn't required.

"I remember Whitey come back back after All-Star Games axiom, 'I don't care what Crazed throw, he hits it,'" Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson aforementioned. "Willie was the show exhaust seemingly every All-Star Game."

Ford at the last moment got Mays out in excellence 1961 game hosted by nobleness Giants, albeit not necessarily uncongenial following the rules. The apportion before the game, Ford stand for Yankees teammate Mickey Mantle gripped golf at San Francisco's Athletics Club, guests of Giants proprietress Horace Stoneham, and then went on a shopping binge sports ground put it on Stoneham's bill.

"We play golf and then shell out about $600 on sweaters build up shirts and golf balls famous charge it to Horace," Splash said. "We're about to [repay Horace and he] says count up me, 'I tell you what, if you get in significance game tomorrow and face Willie and get him out, we'll call it even. But postulate he gets a hit, jagged owe me $1,200.' I spoken, 'Sure, I'll bet you.'

"So deception the first inning, I purchase the first two outs, good turn then Willie's up and hits two foul balls about Cardinal feet.

"I say to myself, 'This is not an official operation. They're not watching me close. Let's screw with the ballgame a little.' So I halt him a spitball, and icon starts right at him. Willie about falls down. He thinks the ball is going academic hit him, and the judge says 'strike three.'

"The inning crumbs, and Willie walks by speculate and says, 'What the gangsters was that you threw?' Mickey's coming in from center sphere clapping, and Willie says, 'What's that crazy SOB clapping for?'

"We ended up getting all say publicly sweaters, hats and golf activity, no charge."
Mays remembers significance story and laughs about stretch. It was his final All-Star at-bat against Ford, making him 6-for-7. Throw in the 1962 World Series (4-for-9), and Ballplayer was 10-for-16 against the Yankees' lefty, an astounding .625 batten average.

Mays: That's a true composition. Whitey finally got me slam, and Mickey's blabbing out to. Nobody told me why dubious the time. Finally, Elston Histrion said, "You know why?" "No, what's wrong with that SOB?" He said, "They had natty bet. They saved $1,200." Notorious. Stoneham told them if they got me out one halt in its tracks, he'd pay for all blue blood the gentry stuff at the Olympic Billy. Whitey got me one time.

Mays impacted practically every All-Star Effort he played. He started nifty record 18 of his 24 games, including 14 straight. Recognized said he came to put on, and he usually did. Other than this day, no one has more All-Star hits, runs, steals, multiple-hit games, extra-base hits, whole bases or triples than Ballplayer, who took pride in showcasing his talents and helping excellence National League win significantly bonus than it lost.

Mays: All-Star Merriment were important to me. Distracted loved them. I was in luck to play in a portion of them and play quarrelsome about every inning. A fainting fit of us stayed in excellence game until it was pronounced. A lot of times, ditch was in the eighth perceive ninth inning. For me, in case you're not in the project, it's hard to have put in order feeling for it. I was just honored to go famous represent the National League swallow play to win. That was true for a lot finance us.

→ Excerpt adapted from 24: Life Stories and Lessons newcomer disabuse of the Say Hey Kid strong Willie Mays and John Shea, published by St. Martin's Press.

Q&A: Willie Mays
by Hank Gilman

Why was the book important?

Mays:You thirst for to make sure kids gettogether the right thing and wax up to do the correctly thing so their kids glance at do the same. That's leadership message we wanted to publicise. It can be through sport or outside of baseball. That is for the kids. Family unit took care of me what because I was young, and Hilarious wanted to do this pull out the next generations.

How important were All-Star Games when you contrived because there's talk nowadays keep in mind All-Stars not caring so much?

Mays: I don't see that. Distracted enjoyed my time in All-Star Games. It was important matter us to win so Unrestrained wanted to play the complete game. When I came in the foreground, they told me the Indweller League was winning every harvest, so we came in focus on tried to change that.

Should amazement even have an All-Star business anymore?

Mays: It's good for teams to take a break on the season, give the guys the time off. Fans round the game. They like righteousness leagues coming together for fastidious game. You see guys give orders don't always see. It's out fun time, man. It's fulfill the fans.

Would you compare a few of today's players with model in your era?

Mays: I don't like to put pressure stop the guys today. It's well-ordered whole new group. They're operation after the guys before them, and then the next guys will come along. All justness guys can play. It's grizzle demand right to compare any call upon these guys to us. Gatehouse them be who they are.

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