Baseball is his whole outlet, his way to express himself, said john shea, coauthor of mays s new book, 24. It might have been, had a boston braves scout not watched mays go 1for8 in a 1950 negro league doubleheader and decided the birmingham black. Within the new biography on willie mays, scheduled for release this month, is a detail of the first time he ever dropped a fly ball using his showy, trademark basketstyle. John shea wrote a book with baseball legend willie mays that took over 15 years to compile and they are releasing it to the world. Clay talks to acclaimed baseball writer for the san francisco chronicle, john shea who spent 15 years working with baseball legend willie mays working on their new book. Not all secrets are revealed in new book on willie mays.
Mays previous books include the autobiographies say hey and willie mays. Widely regarded as the greatest allaround player in baseball history because of his unparalleled hitting, defense and baserunning, the beloved willie mays offers people of all ages his lifetime of experience meeting challenges with positivity. Agent scott boras explains his 2012 visit to the new york home of major league baseball players association founder marvin miller on how mays and mantle helped build the union in the late 1960s. New york ap baseball great willie mays, who turns 88 this spring, has some advice to share. Hirsch has written a book based on his considerable.
Joe dimaggiohas just homered off red sox pitcher dick newsome, extending his hittingstreak to a recordbreaking forty. The book is a collaborative effort by mays and shea, and consists of 24 chapters honoring the number mays wore during his 22year career. There will be 24 chapters, in honor of his uniform number. Baseball is his whole outlet, his way to express himself, said john shea, coauthor of mayss new book, 24.
Red sox could have signed willie mays before anyone else. He began as a teenager in the negro leagues, became a cult hero in new york, and was the headliner in major league baseballs bold expansion to california. Willie mays, nicknamed the say hey kid was an mlb center fielder for 22 seasons with the new yorksan francisco giants and the new york mets. View willie mayss page at the baseball hall of fame plaque, photos, videos. Willie mays few names burn brighter in baseballs collective consciousness than his. Even giants legend willie mays cant catch em all just ask. Willie mays is a thoroughly researched and sympathetic book that will probably stand as the definitive biography of baseballs greatest performer. Willie mays right and john shea authored the new book 24. Mays played in major league baseball very soon after the colour bar ended, and he probably never received the respect due him based upon his skills.
Mays devotion to helping other players is best illustrated near the end of the 332page book. May, 2020 baseball is his whole outlet, his way to express himself, said john shea, coauthor of mayss new book, 24. May 04, 2010 the dark side of willie mayss personality is one that the mainstream press has all but ignored over the years, though it was flashed in front of their faces in 1973 when willie clashed with. Willie mays has 14 books on goodreads with 634 ratings. The dark side of willie mayss personality is one that the mainstream press has all but ignored over the years, though it was flashed in front of their faces in 1973 when willie clashed with. Count me as one who heard all about willie mays backbefore the current president was even born. An excerpt from the writeup included this tidbit, according to sam levy of the milwaukee journal baseball digest, june, 1955, the braves began scouting willie mays when he was fifteen years old. Imagine willie mays and hank aaron in the same lineup. The book, coauthored by john shea, will feature mays memories of the events and people that helped shape him and stories from fellow players who influenced mays. The book is a collaborative effort by mays and shea, and consists of 24 chapters honoring the number mays wore during his 22year career with the new york and san francisco giants, and new york. Shea collected anecdotes from several important figures who have since died, including mayss former giants teammates willie mccovey, alvin dark and johnny antonelli and the former giants owner peter magowan. Jun 05, 2018 today, when a kid makes a catch over his shoulder, its still a willie mays catch, says james s.
Mar 06, 2019 new york ap baseball great willie mays, who turns 88 this spring, has some advice to share. Martins press and will be released tuesday, may 12. Life stories and lessons from the say hey kid comes out sept. Apr, 2020 a new biography about willie mays will be available for public sale next month. Exceeded rookie limits during 1951 season full name. John shea of the san francisco chronicle discusses his new book 24. Life stories and lessons from the say hey kid and a longtime baseball. Willie mays began his professional baseball career in the negro leagues before joining the new york giants in 1951. Life stories and lessons from the say hey kid will be released may 12. We interrupt this program for an important announcement. Novatos john shea, willie mays team up for book on baseball. He won two national league mvp awards, ended his career with 660 home runs, and won a recordtying 12 gold glove awards. View willie mays s page at the baseball hall of fame plaque, photos, videos. Willie mays and the basket catch excerpt from his upcoming book.
Mar 06, 2019 the book, coauthored by john shea, will feature mays memories of the events and people that helped shape him and stories from fellow players who influenced mays. A new biography about willie mays will be available for public sale next month. May 15, 2020 mays played all but the final season and a half of his 22 year career with the new yorksan francisco giants and is forever identified with the team, but for a brief moment there was a very real. Thus the fact that a new, authorized biography of him has come out is rather noteworthy. Celebrated for his superb allaround play, he was twice. This book tells of the story of willie mays life from growing up in alabama to becoming a major league baseball player. Shea first proposed the idea some 15 years ago to mays, who envisioned the book as something to be taught in classrooms. The book tells of mays struggles as he got drafted out of high school as he grew up in a time of great racism. Feb 16, 2010 willie mays is a thoroughly researched and sympathetic book that will probably stand as the definitive biography of baseballs greatest performer. Within the new biography on willie mays, scheduled for release this month, is a detail of the first time he ever dropped a fly ball using his showy, trademark basketstyle catch, 65 years ago today against ernie banks. Willie mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. Author of new willie mays book joins gameday cbs san. These tricks made willie mays the best entertainer in baseball. May 15, 2020 willie mays slides into third, just under a tag from frank malzone, during the 1960 allstar game at yankee stadium in new york, july, 1960.
Willie mays says the red sox could have signed him. Novatos john shea, willie mays team up for book on. The life, the legend, authorized by willie mays, page 552. Willie mays, in full willie howard mays, byname the say hey kid, born may 6, 1931, westfield, alabama, u. Willie mays, forever the youthful say hey kid, was a majorleague center fielder for 22 seasons with the new york giants, san francisco giants and new york mets and played for the birmingham black barons in the negro leagues. Willie mays slides into third, just under a tag from frank malzone, during the 1960 allstar game at yankee stadium in new york, july, 1960. John shea of the san francisco chronicle discusses his.
Today, when a kid makes a catch over his shoulder, its still a willie mays catch, says james s. Willie mays tells the history of baseball in new book 24. New willie mays book gives much insight to his life and times. What willie mays new book reveals about the hall of famers career and the life lessons we can all use by mark gonzales, chicago tribune. The willie mays story with john shea and willie mays. Author of new willie mays book joins gameday cbs san francisco. The book, by willie mays and john shea, is divided into two dozen chapters, in honor of mays jersey number 24. Feb 09, 2009 for my nonfiction book i read the book willie mays. Longtime friendship fosters new willie mays memoir datebook. Mays played all but the final season and a half of his 22 year career with the new yorksan francisco giants and is forever identified with the team, but for a. If there were to be one name synonymous with everything beloved about americas national pastime, it would have to be willie mays. Life stories and lessons from the say hey kid by willie mays and john shea. He hit the majors in 1951, but the next year, mays was drafted.