Say Hey Kid

Willie Mays passed away on Tuesday. He was granted 93 years.

It drives me crazy to listen to tribute shows where the person narrating says stuff like:

“It’s a tragic day.”

Mays was one of the greatest, no doubt, and he carried himself well in interviews, but tragic?

He was 93!

One of the shows was playing funeral music in the background and the host was whispering as though he were about to burst into tears.

Just a pet peeve. Don’t act like it was a shock!

I came of age as a baseball fan at the tail end of Mays’ playing career.

He was on the Mets at the end and at 43 years old, he fell down in the outfield.

His best days were behind him.

Yet, as a fan of the sport way back then, I knew that he was in the conversation with Ruth and Mantle and Aaron.

Those three were absolute icons.

There was a loud group who believed that Mays was the greatest of all time.

He had speed, power, a great arm…

…a five-tool player as they say.

His career started out in New York and ended there too, but he spent most of his time out in San Francisco.

That may have cost him in the greatest of all-time argument.

My Dad loved Aaron, but being a Yankees fan he spoke most glowingly of Mantle. He acknowledged Willie’s greatness but there was no way Dad was saying that anyone was better than Mickey.

I have Willie’s autograph in my collection. It’s a signed photo of his famous World Series catch that robbed an extra-base hit.

It was a great catch.

For me, Mays is still up there among the greatest home run hitters of all-time.

(Bonds and A-Rod don’t count).

93 years - and he spent more than 7 decades as a legend.

That’s a good run.