Willie Mays (5)

I finish this splendid biography of Willie Mays. This book has certainly opened my eyes to the accomplishments and greatness of this baseball player.

Many baseball people say that Willie is the greatest baseball player of all time. I used to scoff at such talk. Now I understand. Look at it this way.

There are 5 major skill sets in baseball: hitting, hitting with power, throwing, fielding, and baserunning. The case for Willie is simply that he did these 5 skills in combination better than anybody else.

He hit 660 homeruns---4th currently on the all-time list. He finished with a .302 lifetime batting average. He had a rifle for an arm---made throws that were considered superhuman--- and still ranks first in outfield putouts and assists. He stole bases better than any other power hitter in history. The other thing is that he played the game with such enthusiasm and style. People would truly come to the game just to see him play.

I have trouble comparing athletes from different eras. I have no trouble saying that Mays was the best baseball player in his era---the 50's and 60's.