21 Willie Mays Facts You Need to Know!

Yes. Mays was born on May 6, 1931, and turned 91 years old in 2022.

Mays debuted with the New York Giants on May 25, 1951.

No, the New York Giants signed Mays as an amateur free agent in 1950 when he was 19 years old.

Yes. Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro American League in 1948.

During his prime, Mays stood 5’10” tall.

Yes, Willie Mays is in the Hall of Fame.

Mays was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. The Say Hey Kid was named on 94.7% of ballots for enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Mays was known throughout his career as “The Say Hey Kid.”

For his career, Mays hit .301, collecting 3293 hits in 10924 at-bats.

Mays hit 660 home runs in his career, a total that was third most in baseball history when m he retired in 1973 (only Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron had more at that time).

Mays wore number 14 for the 1951 New York Giants, then switched to number 24 for the remainder of his career.

Mays played for the New York Giants from 1951 through 1957, when they moved to San Francisco in advance of the 1958 season.

Mays played for the San Francisco Giants from 1958 until May of 1972, when San Fran traded him to the New York Mets.

Mays played for the Mets in 1972 and 1973.

Mays won two National League MVP awards, in 1954 and 1965.

Mays’ yearly MLB salary ranged from a low of $7500 as a rookie in 1951 to a high of $165,000 in each of his last two seasons (1972 and 1973).

Willie Mays was born on May 6, 1931.

Mays grew up in and around Fairfield, Alabama. His father, Cat Mays, was a talented baseball player who exposed his son to the diamond at an early age. Mays’ mother, Annie Satterwhite, was a basketball and track star in high school.

Mays won 12 Gold Gloves during his MLB career, all for his work in centerfield. Mays won his Gold Gloves in consecutive seasons, from 1957 through 1968.

Yes, Mays led the National League in home runs four times, in 1955, 1962, 1964, and 1965.

Yes, Mays led the National League in stolen bases for four consecutive seasons, from 1956 through 1959.

Mays is not related to Bonds by blood, but he is the godfather of the all-time home run leader. Mays and Bobby Bonds, Barry’s father, were close friends when the two played for the San Francisco Giants from 1968 through 1972.

Mays retired after the 1973 season, following a final World Series appearance (the New York Mets lost the Fall Classic in seven games to the Oakland A’s).