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Willie Mays

Selected Writings By Mays:

(With Jeff Harris) Danger in Center Field, Argonaut Books, 1963.

(With Howard Liss) My Secrets of Playing Baseball (illustrated by David Sutton), Viking, 1967.

(As told to Charles Einstein) Willie Mays: My Life In and Out of Baseball, Bookthrift Co., 1978.

(With Maxine Berger) Play Ball, Wanderer Books, 1980.

(With Lou Sahadi) Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays, Simon & Schuster, 1988.

Awards and Accomplishments

1951	National League Rookie of the Year
1954	Sporting News Major League Player of the Year
1954	Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
1954	Hickock Belt
1954, 1965	National League Most Valuable Player
1954-73	National League All-Star Team
1957-68	National League Gold Glove Award
1963, 1968	All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
1970	Sporting News Baseball Player of the Decade
1970	First Commissioner's Award
1973	Inducted into California Sports Hall of Fame
1975	Inducted into Black Athletes Hall of Fame
1979	Inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame
1979	Inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
1999	MLB All-Century Team
1999	Uniform #24 retired by San Francisco Giants

Where Is He Now?

Mays continues to remain heavily involved in the world of baseball, and he remains in the spotlight. In the 2002 World Series, Mays received quite a bit of press. His godson, Giants slugger Barry Bonds—who is often compared to Mays—had a phenomenal Series, even though his team would eventually lose to the Angels.

Mays rarely gives interviews, but during the series the pride he felt for his godson was evident. Still, reporters could not get him to answer the question: "Who is the greatest, you or Barry?" Mays only answered, "We are not going to get into the greatest."

He has also served as a lecturer for the Federal Job Corps, done work for the Help Young America campaign, and makes appearances on behalf of several companies he's under contract with.

(With Ron Smith) The Sporting News Selects Baseball's Greatest Players: A Celebration of the 20th Century's Best (Sporting News Series), McGraw Hill, 1998.

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsBaseballWillie Mays Biography - Growing Up, A Way Out, Tough Times In The North, Chronology, The First Full Season - Several Father Figures, CONTACT INFORMATION