Willie Mays - Greatest Baseball Player Ever

[juilmuel224]

Thank you!!!  I think your presentation was well researched and although there have been many great ballplayers, this Man stands alone as the best all around player. If he tried to just hit homeruns, I truly believe he would hold the title. Winning was more important to him. A great man and class act.

[triofdoom]

totally agree, glad you mentioned the war issue.

[IMJUSTS0MEGUY]

I desperately want to agree with you but I think The Babe has him in what I think is likely the one single most important category.

And that is baseball simply wouldn't be what it is today without what the Babe did, nor would anybody that any of us would consider the games greatest player.

You know, they had "the House That Ruth Built" but actually, I think baseball is pretty much "The Game That Ruth Built."

[lemaxmas]

Great video. More than losing almost two years in service, I think Mays was also hampered by playing about having to hit against the winds in Candlestick. He did learn to hit the ball to right with power, but he surely lost a lot of homers to left where his natural power was. I think he might get the number one spot as greatest all-time when in addition to his great all-round play, you add that he was considered among the smartest players ever and was the team's on field manager.

[909chuck]

In what is called the modern era, Mr. Mays is in the top 2 or three best overall players. Remember too, this was before the days of great scientific sports training and medicine. His total capability, despite staying too long at the game (and who could blame him?!) says it all. Thank you Mr. Mays and thank you for your military service. He was a wonder to behold and I wish I was alive early in his career to see him as a rookie!

[brabon1]

@909chuck had he not had 2 years taken away by military service, and played so many years in hr unfriendly parks like the polo grounds and candlestick...willie wouldve hit 800 hrs....ez

and even without real training....that man had one of the most cut bodies ever to grace a baseball uni

[zneperud]

Willie Mays, I agree, is the greatest all-time. He was great on and off the field; he was exciting and gracious. He added a lot to the game.

[rukusband]

i agree , he was even exciting when he struck out . he is mr. baseball in my opinion.

[futurewebboss]

You forgot one important element that I have to remind you of.. You have to factor in the played 10 years at Candlestick Park! THE worst park for right handed hitters. The wind blowing in from left easily robbed Willie of 5 to 10 home runs a year. So if you split the diff and say 7 home runs per year over 10 years now you have 70 more to add to his home run total and if you take the two years he missed (52 and 53) at 25 hr per year you're now up to around 780 or so career home runs.

[Pandabearmadness]

i just watched ken burns baseball documentary. and the amount of amazing talent in the negro league shouldn't be over looked since those are the players that should of been played during ruths era.

[OnTheBlackcom]

@Pandabearmadness That Ken Burns documentary is the best baseball movie ever. Absolutely great.

[Pandabearmadness]

i dont feel babe ruths number are all that great. its just for me babe ruth wasn't even playing with the best talent at the time. only white people could play baseball. i hate to pull the race card but its not fair to consider him the greatest when i bet lots would argue he even wasn't the best player at the time. its hard for me to take any baseball players during the segregated era serious. i dont understand how could anyone.

[merc78]

What some of the comments fail to fully understand is that Mays had all five talents not just a few. When you look at some of the other great ones they did not have the all around talents that May's had only some of them plus as was mentioned two years were taken from him because of the military. He could beat you in so many ways it was just amazing to watch.

[hardysrock267]

Respond to this video... EXACTLY

[27metube27]

Again, just my humble opinion. But it seems obvious to me that DiMaggio was better than Mays too. They're considered the 2 best fielding CF's ever, both excellent baserunners. So let's look at the per-season numbers:

Joe D .325 avg 143 rbi 34 hr .977 ops

Mays .302 avg 103 rbi 36 hr .941 ops

No contest. Plus Joe's 9 RINGS to Mays' 1. And Joe missed the 3 prime years of his career to serve in WWII, imagine his stats with those! My opinion, Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, Cobb, Joe D, Hornsby, Mays.

[hardysrock267]

@27metube27 look at career stats retard mayz clearly was better with 660 hrs and joltin joe isnt even close to that ok dimmagio was great tooo but mays was just better

[27metube27]

@hardysrock267 I tried to be respectful, I guess you don't have that ability. I've never been called a retard before, especially by someone who spells "Mays" with a "z". Having said that, DiMaggio retired the second he went from great to good because he didn't want to play if he couldn't be at his best. People who hang on and accumulate numbers are not as impressive to me. Like how Aaron needed 2,500 more at bats than Ruth to break his record. Mays was great, I just think Joe was better.

[27metube27]

Mays was great and everyone is enitled to their own opinion. But when you look at Ruth's numbers I just don't see how anyone can argue differently. During the middle 10 healthy seasons of his career, Ruth's AVERAGE season was:

.365 BA 50 HR 148 RBI

If any other player did this for even one season they'd win the triple crown, he AVERAGED it for an entire DECADE!! And for people who say Mays was better all-around, Ruth was the best left handed pitcher in baseball. I mean, come on.

[jarabedearce]

One of my favorite topics. I agree completely that Willie is the Greatest of all Time. Others worthy of being in the conversation include Hank Aaron and Ted Williams. Williams lost several prime years to military service as well. I also agree with another comment that Mays undoubtedly lost many homeruns having to hit into the wind at Candlestick.

[Wehategod]

Willie Could hit Run Field He Do anything and he is still the Epotmie of Greatness and Probaly the best player of the 50's and 60's.

[j37as]

Willie was the BEST.I love Clemente,but Willie was the best.

[wagzel]

nice presentation, but I agreed with you from the outset

[daletmiller]

New bio of Mays says he "was the first five tool player before anyone else opened the shed." The book also talks about the joy he brought to the game, making other players around him play better. Greatest ever? Well, I can't argue with you.

[hremdldw]

Horace Stonehman owned the Giants The O'Malley's owned the Dodgers.The O'Malleys are the ones who convinced Horace Stonehman to come west to San Francisco. He also gave the Giants first choice on which city they wanted.

[keagleman21]

Willie Mays, on top of all the great skills and stats you mention, was also the on-field manager for the Giants for most of his career. He moved the fielders around from his post in centerfield. Ted Williams and many other experts not only cite him as the best all-round player, but also the smartest. I am a longtime Clemente fan, but will always admit that Willie was the best.

[keagleman21]

@keagleman21

One added thought. IMHO, Mays was the best all-round player in baseball. But a case can be made for Babe Ruth. He was no only a great player, but his pitching stats alone were enough for him to be in the HOF. No other ballplayer ever was a HOF calibre pitcher and everyday player. The heavy Babe we are used to seeing was from films of the last 7 years or so of his career and even then he was still great. As a younger man he was slim, fleet of foot and a very good fielder.

[bsh1707]

Oh and I forgot the great statement made by Horace Stoneham, owner of the Dodgers.

He said : "Willie Mays' glove is where triples go to die !"

How great is that. I still get goosebumps everytime I see a clip of him or just an interview.

I played baseball my whole life up to the minor leagues and my father was a fantastic 4 sport star in NYC and saw all the great old players. He said today's players couldn't tie his spikes and I say they couldn't carry his jockstrap !!

[bsh1707]

Willie Mays - hands down was the Greatest All Around Baseball Player. He was one of the greatest base runers and no one was faster going from first to third base. Yes, Mays would have broke Ruth's HR record. The two years in the service and playing at Candlestick park with that wind blowing in from left. He had to lern to hit HR's to right field. He probably lost about 40 HR's just playing there for years.

[keagleman21]

@bsh1707

I don't recall who exactly, but one of the sports writers that covered the Giants in 1965 calculated that in 1965 when Mays hit 52 homers that he had hit 18 balls into the wind in left field at Candlestick that would have been homers anywhere else. So he may have lost even more than 40.

[bsh1707]

@keagleman21 

[bsh1707]

@keagleman21 

[hremdldw]

Your'e preaching to the choir brother amen

[999YORK]

Growing Willie Mays was my favorite player. Greatest of all time? Although I was partial to Mays. I'll admit Aaron was the best hitter of all-time.Although if measured only on power I'd give it to Mays. Billy Martin was vehement on Mantle being greater then Mays. Surprisely Mantle had more power and speed then Mays. You also cannot forget Joe DiMaggio playing in huge Yankee Stadium, overall the greatest I would still go with the Say Hey Kid and yes better then Barry Bonds.

[nickrusso1212]

I just got into an argument on who the greatest living player is: Willie Mays or Hank Aaron. I said Mays, because he was not only a great hitter, but the best CF of all-time.

Aaron may have been a better hitter and a great LF, but he was not as dominant on the field as Mays was.

[tommy2chips]

In fact rickey henderson is the only player with 3,000 hits and 1,000 stolen bases. nobody has never done that before. Plues everybody is in agreement that he is the greatest lead off man ever.

[MrMorningside125]

Rickey Henderson is definitely in the top 10 of alltime. He was one of my favorite players growing up.

[tommy2chips]

Oh you are everywhere aren't you mr. cooper. Mays is up there. pete rose, ty cobb and ricky henderson should be up there as well

[rich95134]

I grew up watching Mays at Candlestick, and there is positively NO ONE who comes close to Mays, imho, and I doubt there ever will be!

He was a true "triple-threat"-- at the plate, as a base-runner, or playing outfield. We were spoiled in those days, because you always felt Willie would pull it out single-handedly. He always seemed to come through in the clutch.

[NJKIDDRICO973]

THANK YOU!! i been sayin Mays is the greatest ever, but everybody kept sayin babe ruth, barry bonds, hank aaron,etc.Finally someone who truly knows baseball and that all around there is no competition between him. I applaud your presentation.bravo!!!

[timarchibaldEATA]

600HR

6,063BA

One of the SMARTEST CF of all time!........Never seen him live but on film and from Indians fans (pre-1960) who lost because of his incredible play.....Named my son after him....

[kfc63822]

Willie Mays !!!!!!!!  ALL THE WAY #1

[Patriot2572]

I totally agree with you about Willie Mays being the greatest of all time. The only player who matches up to him is Barry Bonds, but due to the steroid allegations that drops him down.

My top 3

1. Willie Mays

2. Barry Bonds

3. Babe Ruth

[Darkcharmcupid]

I agree with you because he can do it all! I mean my pops told me their wasnt anything he couldnt do. Someone once said if he could cook they would marry him lol. Growing up my player was griffey Jr. im 25 and never really got to see Mays. But when I look back and see some of his old games, his stats, his amazing capabilities...I see where my hero Griffey came from!

[iowa61]

OUTSTANDING presentation. I don't see how there can be a sustained arguement about it. As an all-round baseball player, nobody touches Mays. Two more factors that put him out in front: Leadership and tactics. Mays was (is) a serious student of the game and on the field, HE was in charge. Both running the bases and defensively. (I used to love watching him reposition infield and outfield players from centerfield). Defense. Mays has the record for most put outs in the outfield. The greatest.

[tomthebomb07]

Mays will always be the best. Good video.