In the world of sports, few names are as synonymous with greatness as Willie Mays. Born in Westfield, Alabama on May 6, 1931, Mays would go on to become a legend in the game of baseball and a member of the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame.
Mays’ career began in the Negro leagues, where he played for the Birmingham Black Barons before signing with the New York Giants in 1950 for $4,000. He made his major league debut on May 25, 1951 and got his first major league hit, a home run off Warren Spahn, on May 28, 1951. But it was Mays’ presence in the on-deck circle during Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” that would cement his place in history.
Over the years, Mays continued to make a name for himself as one of baseball’s greatest players. In 1954, he made a famed over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the World Series and was named the National League MVP. In 1961, he hit four home runs in a single game against Milwaukee and signed a record contract of $105,000 for the season in 1963. He also hit a game-winning home run off Spahn in July of that year.
Mays continued to excel throughout his career and achieved several milestones along the way. In 1965, he hit his 500th home run and was once again named the National League MVP. He hit his 600th career home run in 1969 and achieved his 3,000th hit in
