Tim Kurkjian remembers Willie Mays: The ‘perfect’ baseball player 🧡 | SC with SVP

The reason Willie only had 12 gold gloves was because they only started the award in Willies 9th season.

Don’t forget as unreal as his numbers are, he missed two whole seasons because of the Korean War. What would his numbers be if he got to play during the war. Willie already has the craziest numbers off all time!

GOAT is an extremely overused term. In reality there are only a few who deserve that distinction and Willie Mays is undoubtedly among them. The best to ever play the game.

The Original 5-Tool Player.. Rest in Power

I was born and raised in The Sunset District of San Francisco and saw my first Giants game in 1961. To put it simply, Willie Mays was my childhood. Thank you, Willie, we love you.

Thank you Tim Kurkjian! I saw Willie Mays play in person, in his prime, many many times. I completely agree with everything you said. Willie Mays was the Michael Jordan of Baseball, Baryshnikov on grass, poetry in motion, amazing grace. The greatest baseball player of all time. R.I.P. 24

When I think of Willie Mays I am reminded of farm animals because Willie was the GOAT.

As a Dodgers fan I always hated the Giants. But as a true fan of baseball I always respect true legends for those who paved the way to play the game before we even knew who they really are. Vin Scully always named Willie Mays as his favorite player. RIP to one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

My first sports hero. I remember being eight years old, just discovering baseball and watching my first MLB all-star game during in the 1965 season. This one black player was introduced and the crowd immediately jumped to their feet with a rousing standing ovation that lasted a while. Growing up black in the Deep South during those years of segregation and racial tensions, l was amazed by the respect shown for that black man at that time in history amongst all that turmoil. This was still less than twenty years since Jackie Robinson was initially disrespected in every way possible. That player was Willie Mays. Back in those days we only had two (clear) television channels and one tv game a week, so whenever l saw Willie Mays (maybe once or twice a season) it was something special.

I became a Giants fan in 1962 and followed them closely ever since. Willie Mays was, without a doubt the greatest all around player I've ever seen. He was humble and lived to be 93 because he took care of himself. If Willie hadn't had to go in the service and missed two years he would have been the one to break Ruth's 714 in a ballpark that was tough on right handed power hitters. He had at least 50 balls blown back into Candlestick due to the strong afternoon winds that should have been homers. I wore his number 24 in every sport. I have a signed baseball by him to this day.

Such a shame there wasn’t interleague play and more TV games when he was in his prime so many more people could appreciate his genius as a player. I lived in DC then so never got to see him in person (but did get to see a lot of Mantle, who was my hero). What an unbelievable player. So much greater than the sum of his stats.

Willie Mays was the perfect baseball player, ever!

Congratulations on a long life Willie mays the greatest centerfielder ever ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

R.i.p Hero

Willie Mays: No one played like him. I was born a Mets fan, 1 yr after the Dodgers moved west. Because my heartbroken father adored them. But Mays a Giant, was just as treasured. So I got to see and amazed by the second half of his career and then old enough to see him become a NY Mets. Back home.......

The "Say Hey Kid" greatest nickname in sports history.

RIP Willie…. The NY GIANTS….

66yrs old and from Scottsdale, AZ. Yes, I met Willie almost every Spring, the ball park was front of the roping arena and Boys Club, my three favorite places. Watching Fergie Jenkins face Willie Mays was a riot, I don't think Willie could keep a straight face.

Willie Mays lived one of the greatest lives in American history. The amount of people who claim him as their childhood hero is astounding.

Baseball will never captivate America the way it did Yester-year. That said....no other sport can match the statistical nuances, stories,& historical relevance. Baseball was still " BIG" during my early childhood in the 70's & I can only imagine how popular the sport was decades prior. R.I.P. to a true legend who undoubtedly has a permanent spot on baseball's Mt Rushmore.