Monte Irvin Was An MLBbro Legend From Black In The Day
Monte Irvin was a legendary, multi-skilled Negro League and MLB player who also mentored the great Willie Mays
MLBbro Live At Rickwood Field In Birmingham For MLB’s Celebration Of Negro Leagues and Willie Mays
The MLBbro crew was in attendance at #RickwoodField, the oldest professional park in America, where Willie Mays, who passed away on June 18th at the age of 93, played as a teenager in the Negro Leagues for the Birmingham Black Barrons.
The event was a celebration of his legacy and the legacy of all Negro League players, including the few living ones in attendance. The event was capped by a 6-5 win for the St. Louis Cardinals over the San Francisco Giants, the team Mays once starred for.
A Tribute To The GOAT | Five Things Young Fans Need To Know About Willie Mays
Legends live on forever.
On Tuesday, Willie Mays, one of the greatest players ever, died at 93.
Mays played from 1948-73, dominating as a centerfielder and earning himself a one-way ticket to the Baseball Hall of Fame and overall sports royalty. With 24 All-Star selections and the No. 24 retired by the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, his selection was never a doubt.
Here are some facts for young fans about the late, great Mays.
1. Mays hit 660 home runs
One of the many highlights that surrounded Mays’ storied career was his power at the plate. In 10,924 at bats, Mays hit 660 home runs, which sits him sixth on the all-time home run ranks.
At his peak, he was a monster as in 1961, he hit four bombs in a game with legendary Hank Aaron in the opposing dugout. In 1966, he became the then-record holder for balls over the wall with 535, passing Jimmie Foxx.
Additionally, in 23 seasons, Mays had six seasons where he eclipsed 40 home runs, topping out at 52 in 1965 as a member of the San Franciso Giants.
2. Mays eclipsed the 3,000-hit mark
Only 33 batters have surpassed 3,000 hits and Mays being a member comes as no surprise.
With 3,293 hits, Mays is well over the mark that only six players have reached since 2010. Mays acquired his 3,000th hit with a single on July 18, 1970, as a Giant.
Though the memorable hit was just a single, Mays knew how to collect bags, too.
He led the NL in total bases three times and led in stolen bases four times. In 1956, Mays took 40 bags, whew.
3. Mays was nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid”
Say who, say where, say what, say hey, kid.
Mays earned to nickname after sportswriter Barney Kremenko heard him regularly say the aforementioned phrase in 1951.
Where Mays got it from is unclear, but nonetheless it’s a legendary nickname followed Mays throughout his life.
4. Mays is Barry Bonds’ Godfather
Meant to be, huh?
The Say Hey Kid is indeed the godfather of Barry, with Barry’s father, Bobby Bonds, being Mays’ teammate.
“Thank you for being my godfather and always being there,” Barry said via instagram Tuesday. “Give my dad a hug for me.”
Of course, Barry went on to become the MLB all-time leader in home runs, following right behind his godfather. What a pick from Barry’s parents.
5. Mays Won 12 Straight Gold Gloves
Talk about reliable. Mays wasn’t just an all-time great at the bat, he was also a maniac on defense.
With all of his 12 Gold Gloves coming from 1957-68, Mays asserted his dominance on the defensive end.
With 7,095 putouts, Mays has the all-time outfielders record and has an all-time fielding percentage of 98.1%. To add, Mays’ most famed catch is simply known as “The Catch” — an over-the-shoulder snag in the 1954 World Series.
BONUS INFO:
Mays played in the Negro Leagues, too
He represented the brothers, too. What can’t he do.
At just 17 years of age, Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. Since he was still in high school, Mays was forced to only play home games so that he could continue to play high school football.
In lone season with the Black Barons, he played 13 games and hit for a .233 batting average while notching 17 put outs.
On Tuesday, Double-A’s Birmingham Barons hosted a game at Rickwood Field in tribute to the Negro Leagues. There, fans were notified of Mays’ death, and he was honored with a tribute video.
The A-Mays-Ing Legacy of The “Say Hey” Kid
To get an essence of what Willie Howard Mays Jr. contributed to the sport of baseball, it would truly take a lifetime to do it justice. That being said, I’m up for the task of giving you and all of our readers a respectable snapshot.
When you see a Ken Griffey Jr. or a Byron Buxton glide effortlessly in center field to snare down a line drive in the gap, you’re seeing Willie Mays. When you see a Kenny Lofton or a Mookie Betts go from first to third in warp speed, you’re seeing Willie Mays.
When you see a Nate Colbert, or a Mike Cameron, or a Mark Whiten put on an awesome display of power in a doubleheader, you see Willie Mays. When you hear the term “a five-tool player”, you’re talking about Willie Mays.
Moses Fleetwood Walker and Jackie Robinson paved the way for guys like Aaron, Robinson, Gibson, and others. They all had their own unique styles and approaches to the game. However, No. 24 brought a whole different style, swagger, and flavor to the game.
Many of us who are baseball fans of a certain age are also lovers of jazz music. I particularly love the improvisational nature of the genre whether it’s a Charlie Parker, a Quincy Jones, or a Wynton Marsalis.
When I hear the genius riffs of these great musicians, I think of baseball and most importantly, I think of Mr. Mays. The basket catch. The waggling of the bat before a pitch. The commanding swagger in centerfield.
All of those things set Willie Mays apart from his contemporaries.This is way beyond the 24 All-Star Game selections, the 12 Gold Gloves, the 2 MVP awards, the 3,293 hits, and 660 homers.
The Alabama native passed away Tuesday afternoon at the age of 93. It comes days before the San Francisco Giants are set to face off against the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, in a game honoring Mays and the Negro Leagues.
It was announced on Monday that Mays would not be able to attend. Mays, who was born on May 6, 1931, began his professional career at the age of 17 in 1948 with the Birmingham Black Barons, helping the team to the Negro League World Series that season.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” Michael Mays said in a statement released by the Giants. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”
As a young writer in the late 80’s, I was blessed to be able to interview Mr. Mays for my hometown newspaper. He and fellow Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle were only a few years removed from being reinstated by then commissioner Peter Ueberroth because of their “association” with a casino in Atlantic City.
Yes, there was a time that baseball and casinos were not mentioned in the same breath. But that’s another story for another day. Mays stated one of the first entities that reached out to him was his former team, the San Francisco Giants.
Willie’s relationship with the franchise had become estranged over the years due to the fallout of his 1972 trade to the New York Mets. “Mr. Stoneham told me he would never trade me and I felt very betrayed”, Mays said.
The riff between Mays and the Giants was so deep that Mays’ displayed jersey at the Hall of Fame was originally a New York Mets No. 24 instead of a San Francisco Giants No. 24. When team owner Bob Lurie privately reached out to Mays following his reinstatement, the Giants named him a special assistant to the president and general manager.
By 1993, Mays, along with former teammates Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda signed a lifetime contract with the team and helped to muster public enthusiasm for building the Giants’ new stadium, Pac Bell Park (now Oracle Park).
Over the years, he’s served as an ambassador for the Giants and baseball in general. All told, in a career that spanned 20-plus years (1951-73) — most of them with his beloved Giants – ranks sixth all time in home runs (660), seventh in runs scored (2,068), 12th in RBIs (1,909) and 13th in hits (3,293).
In a statement from the MLBPA, executive director Tony Clark said Mays “played the game with an earnestness, a joy and a perpetual smile that resonated with fans everywhere. He will be remembered for his integrity, his commitment to excellence and a level of greatness that spanned generations,” Clark said.
FLUSHING, NY – JULY 8: Center fielder Willie Mays #24 of the New York Mets leaps high at the wall to rob Darrell Evans of the Atlanta Braves of a home run in the eight inning during a game at Shea Stadium on July 8, 1973 in Flushing, Queens, New York. The Braves won 4-2. (Photo by Louis Requena/MLB via Getty Images)
The legacy of Willie Mays will live forever within the current crop of MLBbros and the ones in waiting.
No Static | Major League Baseball Finally Incorporates Negro League Stats Into The Majors’
The landscape of MLB history took a dramatic shift on Wednesday with the integration of Negro League stats into the MLB database. And while many of these Negro league players who will be shown are already either in the Hall of Fame or well-known, this will enhance the image of MLBbros collectively. For starters, three of the top five leaders in batting average are now MLBbros, including Josh Gibson first overall. So many different narratives will now have to come into play when discussing all-time greats.
(Some) Negro League Stats Officially Recognized By Baseball-Reference.com
Naturally talents like Josh Gibson will now be debated as the greatest hitter ever with context to support it, but there will be so many more that are appreciated. For baseball historians this gives a whole new flock of players to learn about and appreciate. Players like Oscar Charleston and Jud Wilson are sure to be examined closely as their hitting resumes are impressive and now in full display.
This also changes the legacies of players who converted from the Negro Leagues such as Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson who saw their hits total increase by ten and 49 respectively. This could not have come at a better time as the percentage of Black players is at an all-time low. This is inspiring and should spark more involvement and interest for future black players and current ones. Every sport has icons of the past that young players use to model their game after and now there is easier access to Black players who weren’t in the Major Leagues but still proven to be some of the greatest baseball players of all time. There is sure to be pushback with the addition of these stats, as some players will drop in career rankings, but if the ultimate goal of the MLB is to completely display the entire history of baseball, then this was a necessity. This is further proving the Black and Brown players have and always will be integral to the game of baseball.
Why The Negro Leagues Still Matter | It Was Never an Inferior League, The Proof Is In Books
Recent Comments