The Greatest Ballplayer
During recent days, countless testimonials have occurred about the passing of Willie Mays. From here in Castro Valley, I add one of my own to him and his legacy. His 93 years of life were of national significance.
Although Castro Valley is my hometown, my birthplace was in Brooklyn, New York. During the summers of 1955 and 1956 we stayed with relatives in Brooklyn. New York City had a record three teams in Major League baseball at that time. They were the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. During the summers, these three teams were the heartbeat of the city. Loyalties were strong. Competition was intense, particularly between the Dodgers and Giants. Both played in the National League.
During the 1950’s these teams also had the three best centerfielders in the Major Leagues. They were Mickey Mantle with the Yankees, Duke Snider with the Dodgers, and Willie Mays with the Giants. We watched them play in person on their home fields. As kids, we often debated about who the best of the three was. Because of my birthplace, I advocated for Snider. My brother was a Yankee fan and advocated for Mantle. Despite our favoritism, we always knew, yet never admitted, that Mays was the best. To watch him play was to watch a man that was not only a great all-around baseball player. We also sensed that we were watching the greatest in baseball history. As an athlete, he was an artist in action. He was exceptional in all ways – hitting, running, and fielding. He loved playing the game and we loved watching him.
With his passing, we know we have lost the greatest ballplayer that ever graced our fields of dreams. He was also heroic in the way he inspired those of us who knew we were seeing true grace in action. And, to add to remarks that are deserving, although we never met him in person, we sensed that he was also a man of grace. As I capture these memories and compose this column, I feel rich as a person. It is because there was once a man named Willie Mays who not only graced the game of baseball. He graced us with his life. To Willie – our gratitude as a town and as a nation for being a man of amazing grace.