Posted June 19, 20241 yr Moderator Why there will never be another MLB player like Willie Mays - ESPN WWW.ESPN.COM Willie Mays could do everything on a baseball field. Those gifts made him one of the best -- if not the very best -- players who... Very said. Saw him at the Stick many times.
June 19, 20241 yr First big league game I ever saw…..Opening Day, 1958, Giants shut out the Dodgers at Seals Stadium in both teams’ debut on the west coast. And Willie drove in 2 runs.
June 22, 20241 yr As a 12-year old, I saw the Giants third game at Seals Stadium in 1958. If I remember correctly, the Giants lost that one. Had the man who would have tied it on 2nd but the Giants catcher took a called strike three to end the game. Interestingly, Willie really didn't become the clear crowd favorite in 1958. I was like many fans, most of whom were old enough to know better, who expected heroics of Willie every time he strode to the plate. 12-year old me was sorely disappointed that Willie didn't homer at least once in that early game I saw. The big favorite that year was rookie Orlando Cepeda. The next year Felipe Alou and Willy McCovey became fan darlings. Because expectations for Willie Mays were unrealistically high, it took some time for him to earn his chops as the greatest Giant.
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