When Willie Mays Returned To New York For His Last Season 

My grandfather was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan who hated the Giants and said Willie Mays was the best player he ever saw.

Glad to see someone covering the OLD timers from my Dad's era.

I am a Mets fan because of the trade that brought the Mays to the Mets. Back in 1972 I was a 7 year old kid who was just starting to get into baseball and I can still remember being in my friend’s moms car when the news came that Willie Mays was coming to the Mets. I don’t even remember his sub par performance as I was just in awe of his legendary status. Two notes about the video, the Mets did give out 24 to just a few players after Mays’ retirement (Rickey Henderson for one) but it was a rare occurrence until it was officially retired. And finally…can we stop the Bobby Bonilla annuity media obsession? There are a ton of players that have opted for a similar deal and at the time it made financial sense for the Mets….what didn’t make sense was the former owner investing with Bernie Madoff

I remember when Willie came to the Mets. He had very little left by then, but always got a tremendous ovation whenever his name was announced.

Willie will always be the Say Hey kid. Leo Durocher took him under his wing and nurtured his early career when he doubted his own abilities. Thanks for all the great memories, Willie. 👍🙏

First time I watched Willie Mays play was in Atlanta Stadium as a Braves fan and was about 1968 and he cranked a 430 ft homer over the center field fence. What a player!

Willie's glove was where triples went to die.

I was born in 1956 so Willie Mays was my first sports hero and the reason l started playing and watching baseball on television.

Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth all started and ended their careers playing in the same city but for different teams.

That ‘73 Mets team should have won that series.

Amazing hes still Alive MLB Legend ⚾ Great Sr. Willie Mays

My Brother in law who used to work for the Braves in the late 60's--had great stories about playing poker with Willie Mays during a rain delay, watching Sandy Koufax warm up before a game. In 1971 He took us to a game in Atlanta against the Giants where Hank Aaron hit a home run while Willis drove in the winning run for the Giants. A pretty cool Baseball moment. I got lucky that night. Thanks for posting this.

My first sports hero. I remember being eight years old, just discovering baseball and watching my first MLB all-star game during in the 1965 season. This one black player was introduced and the crowd immediately jumped to their feet with a rousing standing ovation that lasted a while. Growing up black in the Deep South during those years of segregation and racial tensions, l was amazed by the respect shown for that black man at that time in history amongst all that turmoil. This was still less than twenty years since Jackie Robinson was initially disrespected in every way possible. That player was Willie Mays. Back in those days we only had two (clear) television channels and one tv game a week, so whenever l saw Willie Mays (maybe once or twice a season) it was something special.

The greatest all around baseball player in history from I’ve been told and watching highlights of him

Nostalgia. The best of the best times in baseball. NY, Brooklyn

Rest In Peace Mays you will be missed

His last two seasons-1972 and 1973.

Mays a Met. I was 14 & Channel 29,Buffalo N.Y. only a year old carried 41 games that season. Though he didn`t always play, for me he was the reason I tuned in.

Loved the jab at Bobby Bonilla at the end !!! 🤣😂😆⚾

Thanks for this video. Super helpful as I made the Mets my 2nd fav MLB baseball team and I'm still learning the history of the Mets and baseball more in general.

Mrs. Payson loved Willie and wanted him back in NY. She had voted against the move to SF from NY in the 50s.

the first game i ever went to was at shea in 1970 mets vs giants mays got hurt in a home plate collision.

I am so happy, he is for the Mets #24.

Do more videos of players in their last season (especially if they were on a different team than in their prime) like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Steve Carlton (he had an especially hard time letting go), Reggie Jackson...

I got to see Willie Mays in his last season at Candlestick against the Giants. Pretty close to the field behind the dugout and right of home plate. I think I was 9 or 10.

His first game for the Mets Sunday May 14 1972 he hit a home run

Great Video

I remember that series. We lived in Brooklyn and everyone, even Yankee fans were rooting for Willie Mays and the Mets, whether secretly or not, lol. We see players get old and not be able to perform like they used to but Mays looked worse than most people at his age. It's a shame that Mays didn't finish his career with the Giants but at least he finished his career in New York. Say hey!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always wondered how he hit for so much power with such an awful swing. Never knew Willie was jacked.

GREAT commentary…

Seeing Willie in a Mets uniform just didn’t seem right. He looked tired, worn out, haggard and a confused. Of course he wasn’t, but his best days were behind him. He was a Giant, pure and simple.

The greatest ball player that I ever saw. Also had wonderful charisma and was a baseball savant. Tom Seaver said th:.at Mays was the only outfielder that he ever that he ever played with that Wantted to know what pitch he was throwing. He could judge is, where the ball was likely to be hit by knowing the pitch looking at the batters feet.

I've read that because of the heavy winds blowing off the lake near Candle Stick Park, Willie Mays lost 67 home runs when he hit the ball over the fence but the wind blew the ball back onto the field. Mays officially hit 660 home runs so adding 67, that makes 727 he would have hit if it wasn't for Mother Nature. He would have broken Babe Ruth's record before Hank Aaron did.

I will never forgive the 73 mets for not getting willie that world series ring! I'm still pissed! ❤#24 forever!

Horace Stoneham was like Calvin Griffith, owner of the Minnesota Twins, and Connie Mack when the Athletics were in Philadelphia. Their baseball teams were the only business interests they had. There was no corporate structure where the teams could operate at a loss and not be harmed so when attendance was bad it hit men like Stoneham, Griffith, and Mack a lot harder than it did someone like Gussie Busch, whose brewery owned the Cardinals.

RIP Say Hey Kid #24

What if the Mets hadn't traded Otis or Ryan?

RIP

5:33 Chub Fee-knee

It was his last two seasons.

Ya gotta give that Bobby Bonilla joke a rest!

This video just gave me another reason to hate the A's. Good grief I didn't know they were the reason the Giants lost Willie Mays. Speaking of that trade, I think Willie should have retired as soon as he learned it was going to happen. Retiring as a Giant would have been a better end to his career.

If he was ineffective and a part-timer most of the regular season, why on earth put him in centerfield in the post season. Centerfield is the most demanding of the outfield positions.

Another example of why it is better to retire a year too early than a year too late.

Best ever would have hit 800 in different ballparks

I was enjoying the video until Bonilla showed up 😮

willie should have retired as a giant damn stoneham for trading him

he could still hit a little, fielding went to hell however..

The NL President’s name was pronounced FEE KNEE not Fenny…😏

To the clown who narrated this video and every other narration of the Mets 1973 season, and to all who did not followed the Mets during the 1973 season, The ball club was plagued by injuries throughout the entire season, therefor, they were a sub .500 team till late August when they got all of their key pitchers and starting players back in the starting lineup, from there they achieved what they were suppose to do.... win the NL East. Imagine if they were healthy all season? This clown would no be emphasizing over and over again how they were the worst team in history to have won a division with the fewest wins. This is true, and a weak division helped significantly but obviously this clown show has resentment against this team or franchise. BTW, they went on to beat Big Red machine in 5 to win the NL pennant then lost to the dynasty in the making Oakland A's in 7 with 3-2 lead leaving Shea heading back to Oakland.

The definition of a five tool player.

The closing Bobby Bonilla comment is irrelevant and stupid. That’s what was negotiated and it’s binding. It’s not something that can be dismissed now so get over it.

Mets are always trying to mooch off Giants and Dodgers history.

Kind of a cynical piece why bother

Clemente was simply better than Mays!

The audio on this video is extremely loud 😂😂