I really appreciate that First Take was willing to spend this much time to honor Willie Mays. Truly one of the titanic figures in American Sports, and deserves to receive this much coverage, even though his prime was 60 years ago and baseball is no longer THE sport that Americans watch. Stephen A clearly is a baseball fan and First Take should talk about MLB more, especially about its legends.
I grew up in Nor Cal in the '60s. When I was 5 in 1962, my dad took me to my first MLB game at Candlestick. I remember him pointing out Willie Mays to me. I had the occasion to meet Willie Mays a couple of times many decades later when I was in my 50s.
@@justinmathewson3692Plus Joe Buck (I think he was born correct me guys 1969/70ish) so unless he was a genius at age 2-3 no way he saw Mr Mays live in real time via TV or going to a ballpark.
Willie Mays was the greatest to ever do it. If he didn’t have to play his home games at polo grounds then candlestick, along with missing two years in his prime for the army, he would have had more home runs, hits, RBIs and it keeps going. Most importantly he was the say hey kid for a reason. He loved the game, loved fans, had fun, and wanted to make baseball fun for everyone.
That's the craziest part that young kids and athletes don't understand today. All the old time greats like Mays and Williams and Dimaggio served years in the military. Crazy.
I was very fortunate to be home on leave to witness Willie's 600th Home run and then his 3,000th hit. I didn't plan it. You had to take leave when you could get it. My aunt was on the Giant's Boosters club and we got tickets. I saw him play many times as a young kid. The last time I saw him play was in the 1973 World Series. We gave him a standing ovation. I was lucky to grow up on the Bay Area. Willie was the greatest.
Willie Mays still has one of , if not the greatest catch of all time. The 1954 World Series Giants vs Indians. A play that will be talked about forever.
As a fan very few athletes have given me that 'Super Human' feeling. As an 8-year-old living in Ft Wainwright Alaska, Dad & I would be next to the radio every first day of the season. My argument would be that Willie would bat 1000 that year. As soon as he missed an at bat I would argue he would achieve it the following year. It took me years to realize it was a stretch. 😂 But Willie & Roberto Clemente always seemed unreal to me.
As a black kid in the early 70s, I remember a Willie Mays cartoon that came on Saturday morning. My baseball number was 24 in high school and college. 😊
When Barry bonds was coming up on hitting record he mentioned how willie mays was best all around player in baseball that’s when I realized how good he was even though I grew up hearing about him
I'm from the Bay Area, KNBR 680 is our local AM station broadcasting SF Giants games on radio. I was holding back tears driving home from work on Tuesday, June 18th listening to the news on the radio. Thank you all of baseball, all other 29 MLB teams helped up us mourn with our SF Giants. My grandfather on his death bed in the hospital in 2018 at the age of 95 told me how lucky he was to see and follow all of Willie Mays career starting as a rookie in 1951 in New York.😥SEY HEY to him up in heaven grandpa! ❤
Growing up, I saw Willie Mays play. After outfield warm ups, he would throw the ball to the crowd of kids, and yes I proudly retrieved it one time. Unfortunately, my dog didn't appreciate the treasure we had and he decided it didn't need to exist. So much for that. Beyond that, people held their breath in anticipation of him hitting the ball out of the park every time he came up. Im not exaggerating when I say he was without peer even after teaming up with Willie McCovey. l also recall he was the only Giant that could consistently hit Sandy Koufax. He was the first player I ever saw hit 4 home runs in one game. In his prime, he would be a superstar today.I also remember when he signed a new contract ( and everyone was like wow so much money) for a whopping, $125,000, which was humongous at that time. I feel blessed to have watched no doubt one of the greatest players of all time.
I began following baseball at 6 years old in 1965, the year Willie was MVP. But it was because of my father who adored Willie Mays. When my father played wiffle ball with me, I would emulate Willie Mays! Each time the Giants were on TV, I watched him play. The first box score I looked for in the sports pages was the Giants to see what Mays did the night before. He is absolutely the greatest baseball player I've ever seen! Even when he struck out it was an event.
What is Smith talking about at 4:13? Muhammad Ali was the one that titled himself the greatest, it was him bragging about himself. Yes, Willie Mays was the best all-around baseball player that ever played the game. Willie Mays thought very highly of Joe Louis. I remember when Louis died in 1981 & Will Mays spoke about what Joe Louis meant to him. Yes, both Wille Mays & Joe Louis were the greatest in their sports.
dude how the F do you become one of the greatest in the game of baseball and having had to go fight in the freaking war for 2 years too? This guy Willie sure sounds like an amazing player
~🦾💡⭐💫⚡⚡🦾Rest in Power ...to the Baseball Veteran-Legend: Willie Mays..... Never Goodbye, always Next time ...My Human-Bruther that i never met but whose story...i heard of.... 1LOVE
Willie Mays was NOT the greatest in his Baseball craft but he was ELITE in ALL he pursued in Life. Today's sports fans should STOP in haste labeling athletes the GOAT when the numbers and tasks say otherwise. REST well, #24, the say hey kid. Thanks to Willie Mays for making my nurturing so special by his Baseball legacy.
There are so many legends and things to talk about that you obviously can't get to everyone. And even then Willie Mays is consistently talked about when talking about the greats. Plus anytime someone makes an immaculate catch in a baseball game they will always show the catch he had in the World Series.
theyre just talking about the horrible things he had to endure. when the giants moved to San Fran he had trouble getting a place to stay just because of his race. you can't comprehend the hatred Willie and other black people had toj deal with back then
😳Is it me or why did i think Willie Mays died like 10,15 years ago? and i'm a big baseball fan! Wow SMH ,anyways i'm in shock because my mind all these years was that he died. Wow i'm confused and sad. He was arguably the greatest.... Every kid, boy and girl should learn and know who he is and was.
And Bill Walton, whom I played against in high school. I saw Jerry West in his prime and all I can say is he ran the fast break like no other, just beautiful. Bill Walton went 158 games between losses from hi School to his senior year in college.
ESPN is usually bad about that, but in this case they should talk about race. What a lot of these players went through in the 50s and 60s was 10000% racism.
@@nate9798 what did they go through that was racist? Willie mays was looked up to by everyone in the bay, White or black. Lot of revisionist history imo.
I am more "concerned" that this is the first time ever Stephen A has mentioned that his daddy was going to be a pro baseball player in the US of A.🤨 Is this another story of Stephen A Myth's?🤔
@@dav5olyI don’t know maybe growing up in a time of segregation, the struggle for civil rights, being a black player in a predominately white league where support was rare to be found.
Lol nah dude walked by llws kids on tv not realizing tv was still on him....today's athlete don't connect with today's fan....cause they filthy rich they don't relate with us....back then they did....dudes played their sport and in the offseason had another job...regular folk...now these dudes can't be bothered
You don't have to tear down someone to build up another. All three are amazing and have an argument to be the goat. Babe was dominant against Cuban players in the off-season so I don't wanna hear if he played against black players he wouldn't have been as great. 714 hrs while being a pitcher for 6 years not saying he's better than Willie or Josh but he's up there.
@@slenderjames3806Perfect statement. Instead of criticizing the Babe(he did not make the rules for segregation in MLB before 1947) let’s celebrate Willie, Babe and Josh as the 3 GOATS of baseball at least in the 20th Century.
The GREAT Willie Mays. & as far as putting Babe Ruth in the conversation… ruth played during segregation…Mr. Mays played in a era that wasn’t & played under great duress because of his ethnicity. That’s a major difference. Rest up, #24
Ruth played in beginning of dead ball era…There wasn’t night baseball then -no lights when it got late or overcast.The bats were not of the same quality..It’s difficult to compare eras-why can’t everyone just be great rather than arguing about who is best?
Rest in peace to the great Willie Mays. And you can include race in this discussion because of the times Mays played in. But leave it up to Steven A Smith, Molly, and ESPN to push race at all cost. Molly ask Steven A as a black man what did Willie Mays represent to you? This question was so unnecessary First Take just can't stop pushing their Agenda. God Bless the Mays family. Rest in peace again to the great if not the greatest baseball player ever the say hey kid Willie Mays. 🙏
