On this Juneteenth day, let's take a break from the acrimony and accusations. We were planning on talking about how, growing up- feeling enlightened about race although at times we lived in communities that were not- we had no idea about Juneteenth and that it really did not enter our consciousness until relatively recently.
And then the greatest baseball player of all time died.
Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid died Tuesday at 93.
His stats speak for themselves. 660 home runs. Life time 301batting average. 3,292 hits. 12 Gold Gloves. Rookie of the year in 1951 after starting out hitting 1 for 26. Two time MVP. Baseball is a game of stats, which is one reason why we love it. But it is so much more than stats and Willie Mays was so much more than stats. No player ever had the combination of power, speed, athleticism, arm, and grace. Babe Ruth combined power and athleticism (he was a pitcher first), but you do not hear people talk about his arm or speed on the base paths. Hank Arron is the closest to Mays, and you can make an argument for Clemente, but in the end, Willie Mays stands alone.
When you watch the most famous catch in baseball history, there are a few things to keep in mind. It was game one of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds. Vic Wertz was the batter. The ball was hit to centerfield which measured 483 feet at its deepest. Mays took off on a full run and his back was to the ball when he caught it at around 450 feet. The game was tied 2-2 in the eighth inning and Cleveland had runners on first and second- so the catch, in a tied world series game, had added stress and importance.
And then after the catch, in one fluid moment Mays turns and throws a bullet to second base holding the runner. The catch would have been enough for mere mortals, but Mays was not a mere mortal. His throw is also one of the greatest in the history of the game.
The game ended in the tenth inning. Mays set up the winning run by walking and then Dusty Rhodes hit a home run off of Bob Lemon and the Giants were on their way to a four-game sweep.
Many have athletic ability. Many can perform under the stress of the moment. But it is the rare person who can use all of their abilities at a time when they are needed most. The man met the moment in Game One of the World Series in 1954 and it was the first of what would be many moments for the greatest ballplayer of all time.