Happy Birthday Willie Mays

[Mark Stryker]

The Say Hey Kid turns 81 today. One of my greatest childhood heroes, even though at 48 I'm still too young to remember him in his prime. I did see him hit his third to last home run, No. 658, in July 1973 when the Mets played the Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Say Hey!

Edited May 6, 2012 by Mark Stryker

[JSngry]

[GA Russell]

You know the saying "The great ones make it look easy"? Willie Mays made everything look easy!

[Jim R]

I did see him hit his third to last home run, No. 558, in July 1973 when the Mets played the Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Let the record show that you meant to say 658.

[Mark Stryker]

I did see him hit his third to last home run, No. 558, in July 1973 when the Mets played the Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Let the record show that you meant to say 658.

Oops. A clear typo! Thanks for noticing. I've corrected the original. Also in that game, he made a couple of basket catches out in center. The internet tells me he hit that HR off Ross Grimsley and it was in the top of the 7th.

[paul secor]

My favorite baseball player. Happy birthday, Mr. Mays!

[Dave James]

Has there ever been a player who was more fun to watch? Just seeing that film of him recklessly darting around the bases, arms waving, hat flying off his head...the sheer joy he took in doing something as well as anyone ever has done it. Talk about your five tool player. They broke the mold after they made Willie.

[Matthew]

I always counted it one of my great youthful memories that I saw Mays hit a home run in person, and make a min-Vick Wertz catch, all the same game (of course, anyone looked great against the Padres in those days). What a player he must have been in his prime; I'm still trying to forget his World Series hand-off though.

[jazzbo]

I saw Mays play against the Phillies at Connie Mack Stadium when I was young, one of the few baseball games I ever went to. Happy Birthday Willie! (I have a whole family of Williams, but no one is called Willie!)

[Tim McG]

I had the honor and privilege of seeing Willie Mays play several times at the 'Stick.

He was, in fact, as good as they say he was.

Happy Birthday, Willie!

Edited May 7, 2012 by GoodSpeak

[Soulstation1]

I don't like the Say Hey Kid

[JSngry]

Willie Mays was literally the first big league player I saw in the flesh. The very first.

I would be like the first chick you ever getting naked with being J-Lo.

[BFrank]

I think I saw him hit #656 (with the Mets) in San Diego on 6-16-73.

If not that game, I'm pretty certain I saw another game in that series.

[being 39 years ago, the memory is pretty fuzzy]