Author: David Shama

Mays, who instantly became as popular in New York as he had been in Minneapolis, had his struggles as a Giants’ rookie during the 1951 season and asked to be sent back to Minnesota, but Giants manager Leo Durocher would have none of that talk.  Willie was his guy and the confidence really paid off.

Mays hit .274 with 20 home runs and 68 RBI in 121 games, and was voted National League Rookie of the Year.  He provided a spark at the plate, on the bases and in the field for the Giants who had not won a pennant since 1937.

In August of 1951 it looked like it would be at least one more year before they finished first in the National League.  The Giants were 13.5 games back of the Dodgers in August.  Then came an extraordinary finish to the pennant race that left the two clubs tied for the lead at season’s end.  A three-game playoff would determine who represented the National league in the World Series.  In the deciding third game of the playoffs, Bobby Thomson hit a ninth inning three run home run to rally the Giants to victory and a trip to the World Series.  The “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” is perhaps the most famous moment in baseball history.

The Giants lost in the World Series to the Yankees, something they did again in 1962.  But the World Series that Mays’ fans usually remember first was in 1954 when he made “The Catch” against the Cleveland Indians.

The image of Mays’ over the shoulder catch off a ball hit by Vic Wertz has been immortalized in baseball history.  The ball looked like it would be way over Mays’ head and Wertz would run for extra bases, sending a couple of runners home and breaking a 2-2 tie.

Author James S. Hirsch, who wrote a vivid account of Mays’ life in the 2010 book Willie Mays The Life The Legend, described the reaction of the Giants’ manager when the ball was in the air.  “Leo Durocher retained hope, believing that any ball that stayed in the yard, could be caught by Mays.  He just wasn’t certain if the outfield was big enough.”

It was and “The Catch” became part of the Mays legend when the Giants won game one of the series and went on to become world champions in four games.  But Mays made a lot of spectacular plays and that might not even have been his best.  He once caught a ball bare-handed in the outfield because that was the only angle he could take.  In another game he joined a short list of players who hit four home runs in one game.

When his career ended in 1974 Mays had hit 660 home runs and today ranks fourth on the all-time list behind Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.  He led the National League in home runs four times and in four seasons also was tops in stolen bases.  He was an 11-time Gold Glove winner and played in the All-Star game every season from 1954 through 1973 when he was 42 and finishing up his career with the New York Mets.

Now think about the career home runs and realize that Mays didn’t play during the 1952 and 1953 seasons because he was in the Army.  Give Mays 80 more home runs and his total is 740, close to Bonds at 762 and Aaron at 755.   Who knows how many home runs Mays might have hit during those two missed seasons?

But Mays was never defined just by numbers.  He was an entertainer, too.  The “Say Hey Kid” swung from his heels and sometimes drove the ball further than most players ever thought about.  On the bases he took huge leads and might be as likely to steal third base as second.  In the outfield (often using his famed “basket catch”) he not only ran down most balls, but his powerful arm and quick release made hitters sorry they took chances on the bases against him.  And he did much of the above with his hat flying off while showing an exuberance for life seldom seen on ball fields before or since.

Mays turned 80 on May 6.  You wonder if when he celebrated the birthday with wife Mae Mays he reflected for a moment about those weeks in Minneapolis 60 years ago.

If so, he’s not the only one who remembers.

Joe Mauer could return to the Twins lineup in two weeks, according to his grandfather Jake.  “He’s shooting for the first of June,” Jake told Sports Headliners.

He also said Joe could catch a game now, but would need to “rest for five” games and that doesn’t help the team.  The former AL MVP has “two lumps” on his injured right shoulder and that remains a problem as does regaining strength in his body, according to Jake.

“His right shoulder is getting better,” Jake said.  “He’s down from 235 (pounds) to 218 or 219.”

The lumps are from the rigors of catching earlier in the season when he played in several games before going on the disabled list, according to Jake.  He also said his grandson is struggling to replace the weight he lost after being severely weakened last month by the flu.  Although much has been written about weakness in Joe’s legs, Jake insisted the legs “are good.”

Although Joe is known for being mild-mannered, his physical problems and not playing since April 12 have made him grumpy.  “He’s not fit to live with,” Jake said. “It’s just been murder.  He says, ‘Grandpa, I just don’t want to talk about it.’ ”

Joe attended his charity golf tournament last week but didn’t play except to accompany his grandfather on a few holes and putt on the greens.  This week he is at the Twins’ training complex in Fort Myers, Florida continuing to rehab.

Mauer has played in nine games this season.  He has a .235 average with no home runs and four RBI.