Willie Mays.

Willie Mays. Willie Mays, born in 1931, American baseball player, also known as the Say Hey Kid, who is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player in history. Born in Fairfield, Alabama, Mays was brought up to the major leagues in 1951 to play center field for the New York Giants (who moved to San Francisco before the 1958 season). In his first season, Mays led the Giants to the National League (NL) pennant and won the rookie of the year award. He spent part of 1952 and all of 1953 serving in the United States Army. Returning to the Giants in 1954, he won the NL batting title with a .345 average and the league's most valuable player (MVP) award while leading the Giants to the World Series title. He led the NL in home runs (1955, 1962, 1964, 1965) and stolen bases (1956-1959) four times each. In 1964 he became the first African American to be named captain of a major league baseball team. In 1965 he earned his second MVP award. During the 1972 season Mays was traded to the New York Mets, and he retired at the end of the 1973 season. He was the first player to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases in a career, and the first NL player to hit 600 home runs. Mays finished with a total of 660 home runs and a lifetime batting average of .302. Mays was noted as a right-handed hitter with a distinctive batting style and great power, but was equally praised for his defensive skills in center field. He was a favorite of the fans. Mays is remembered for a number of memorable catches, including his running, over-the-shoulder grab of Vic Wertz's drive to center field in the first game of the 1954 World Series. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.