The tributes to Willie Mays last week were bittersweet.
Of course, he deserved all the lofty praise, but there was the regret of him having to endure the segregation, dissent, and humiliation of his native South, growing up in Westfield, Ala., nine miles west of Birmingham.
Mays rose above the ignominy and indignity of his early years to exalted status in baseball. Many who saw him play say he was the greatest all-around performer ever in the Big Leagues. Who could argue with that? The man was as spectacular in the field as he was at bat.
It is doubtful any player embodied the “five-tool evaluation” more than Mays: 1) Consistently hitting for average – Mays’ career average was .302; 2) Hitting for power; demonstrating homerun ability and slugging prowess – He hit 660 career home runs; 3) Fielding ability; demonstrating exceptional defensive skills, both by the eye test and through metrics – He was a magician with his glove; 4) Speed; impressive sprint speed on the basepaths – Mays on the basepaths was graceful and downright beautiful; and, 5) Throwing arm; strong arm strength whether fielding or making throws from the outfield – Just recall his catch and throw in the ’54 Series vs. the Indians.
In 1962, the Giants moved from the Polo Grounds in New York to San Francisco and met the Yankees in the World Series. It went seven games, with the middle three played in New York. The Yankees won the series, 4-3.
At the time, I was stationed with the U.S. Coast Guard at Groton, Conn., and often spent the weekends in Manhattan. A serviceman could get a cheap rate at the Century Hotel, which had already lost its luster by then. I was just happy to be in Manhattan and enjoying a rare experience.
I had started covering the Masters for the Athens Banner-Herald in 1960 and had gotten to know Will Grimsley, a columnist for the Associated Press in New York. I went by the AP Building at 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and he gave me a Western Union pass to New York Giant (football) games and also for the third frolicking of the ‘62 World Series – Mickey Mantle and the Yankees vs. Willie Mays and the Giants.
The teams had split two games at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It was a balmy afternoon in the Bronx. I took the subway out to old Yankee Stadium before noon for the 2 p.m. start.
While I don’t recall when I arrived, I got in early to watch batting practice with my Western Union pass. It was emotionally stimulating to see Mickey and Willie hit soaring homers deep into the stands pre-game, hoping that at least one of them would connect during the upcoming game.
Because of my lifelong affection for my favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, I was pulling for the Giants, but I was a big fan of Mickey Mantle. It would have suited me fine if both he and Willie had performed in the game as they had done during BP, but it didn’t happen.
Only eight home runs were hit collectively by the two teams during the '62 Series: five by the Giants and three by the Yankees, with one of those by Roger Maris, but in San Francisco.
Nonetheless, it was a nice memory to have seen Willie and Mickey competing in the “House that Ruth Built” in a World Series game on a balmy Sunday afternoon in New York City.
On the way from the stadium back to the subway platform, I bought a San Francisco bobblehead doll in honor of Willie and the Giants, my antipathy for the Yankees still intact.
The passing of time has ameliorated my emotions, though. With a friend, Aaron Boone, becoming manager, I no longer hate the Yankees. In fact, now I am pulling for them to win the American League pennant.