Willie had so much passion for baseball, it rubbed off on all of us. He made everybody a better player around him. My heart is filled with love to be able to celebrate Willie on his 90th birthday. Happy birthday to my brother Willie, I love you. I remember his th homer, his th homer, his 3,th hit. My first year in the big leagues was , and Willie hit 52 home runs that year, 17 in August alone.
At 34 years old, do you believe that? I played seven years with Willie and wanted to get on base because every time he hit a home run, I was at home plate and always in the photo. Willie, your first year was That was my second year in the Brooklyn Dodger broadcast booth. I, like you, came out to the West Coast, and here I am sending you kind of a love letter because I admired your abilities so well.
And let me tell you something, I know you hit home runs in your great career -- to be honest, I thought you hit all of them against Dodger pitching. Anyway, my friend, hugs and warmest wishes on your 90th birthday from me, the broadcaster who always loved watching you play. One of the highlights of my baseball career was to have been a teammate of Willie Mays, and to have played in the World Series with him, and to have beaten the Dodgers in that famous pressure cooker that was that three-game playoff.
I learned so much from Willie about showing up every day, and about respecting Major League Baseball and the city of San Francisco. Most importantly, to this day Willie has always cared for me as a person, and that means a lot to me and it says a lot about who he is. He has inspired generations of young people growing up in this city, even long after his incredible career ended.
Trisha Thadani. I was captivated by baseball and entranced by baseball at age 8 or 9. He was my hero, my ideal. I thought of him as a superhero. More than a 5-tool player, he was a 6-tool player — above everyone. When the Giants thought the other dugout was stealing signs, he once called a game from center field. You talk to many players that played with him, and they say he was born to play baseball — but Willie could have played anything he wanted to.
He was that great of an athlete. Willie Mays is baseball to me. Willie Mays was my inspiration in baseball as a young kid. Every time he took an at-bat, everything in my world just stopped.
I was there for his 3,th hit, a ground ball between short and third against Montreal on the turf at Candlestick.
I even saved my ticket. He was everything to me as far as baseball goes. Matt Kawahara. Your example of discipline, determination, resilience and excellence has always been great modeling for all athletes and coaches. This year we needed your leadership even more. Thank you, Mr. Mays, not only for what you have done for baseball, but for our community and country. You have made this world a better place.
I met Willie when I was 19 years old. Bobby Bonds introduced me. Once I got to the Giants, it was a pleasure being around him all the time with his infectious laugh and smile, always in a good mood. Say Hey Willie…Happy 90th birthday…keep swinging for the fences.
What an impact you have made on Major League Baseball. I know in my mind, you were kind of the Steph Curry of your day, the combination of supreme talent and extreme joy is just breathtaking to watch. Wishing you the very best of days today on your birthday, and keep it rolling. As a Giants fan growing up, watching Willie was special -- an exciting player who thoroughly enjoyed the game -- and it was a thrill when I came to the big leagues to have one of my baseball cards come to life.
In the box, he was always so focused on hitting that I tried to delay him and I talked to him, asked him questions to try to make him uncomfortable -- and he always talked back. He has been a special friend. God bless him on his 90th birthday.
Everybody has heroes growing up. My first sports hero was Willie Mays, and to have your sports hero become a personal friend later in life is pretty remarkable. Two of the nine were absolute obvious choices: Barry Bonds and Vin Scully. Scully is the most famous name in baseball broadcasting, and despite being the voice of the Dodgers for decades, has admitted that Mays is his favorite player.
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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. So for those reasons, I think he resonates with current players. Added Posey: "I mean, honestly, the reason that people still talk about him today is just because how incredible a baseball player he was and for how long he played and, you know, his accomplishments as a baseball player will forever stand the test of time. Skip to main content Skip to navigation.
Mays arrives in style as Giants celebrate his 90th. San Francisco Giants. Gausman or Ray? Kershaw or Verlander? And when the greatest players got together every year, Mays was always front and center. With his famous nickname, the "Say Hey" part is unique. And the most celebrated. But as Verducci reminds us, the "Kid" part was important too.
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