Damn, I almost forgot! Happy 77th birthday, Willie Mays!

[Oeditpus Rex]

I won't say he was the best ever (though I wouldn't mind being in that argument), but he was the best of my lifetime.

[Bennyboy]

1. Willie was my hero......

When I was about ten or so, we used to take the greyhound Bus from Sacramento to Candlestick for 5 bucks. Hop on the ballpark special at the Greyhound station and get bleacher tickets for 90 cents. get there really really early to watch BP and we could talk to the Willies and the rest of the team.

One time we were hanging out by the exit of the players lot. Willie came out and was verbally attacked by a woman, a black woman in a blonde wig. We were disappointed because he did not sign any autographs that day.

We went to my aunt and uncle's house in Daly City, to spend the night. We recounted the story of the events in the lot for my Uncle. He told me that was his wife and they were divorcing. The next morning I asked him how he knew so much about Willie (back those days we did not have the press up everyone's ass) and he told me he was his insurance agent. My Uncle was huge with State Farm insurance.

The next morning, my uncle told us to get in the car. We got in and instead of going to the bus station like I thought, we went into the nicest neighborhood in SF. We pulled up to a house and he told us to go knock on the door, it was Willie's house. Man, I was shitting bricks. knocking on the door uninvited. But we did it anyway, programs and pens in hand. Willie answered and we were just slack jawed. He signed our programs and talked for a while with us. He said he recognized us a the kids in the bleachers. Then my uncle came up and they acted as if they were old friends (which it turns out, they were). We talked for a minute (with my uncle doing the talking) and then left.

Later my uncle told me he called Willie and set the whole deal that night. Pretty cool of him.

[Oeditpus Rex]

3. What a great story!

I've read about Mays' divorce. (His wife, Marguerite, had previously been married to one of the original Ink Spots.) The SF papers were brutal to him, writing that he'd beaten her and stuff like that.

I wonder if your uncle had anything to do with Mays going into the insurance business. In the mid-'60s, he worked in the off-season for Pennsylvania Life.

First major league game I ever went to was in 1965 at Candlestick, Giants vs. Houston. Mays hit two homers and Bob Bolin, of all people, hit one.

[fizzgig]

6. what a wonderful thing for your uncle to do

thank you for sharing the story :)

[Bullwinkle925]

2. Hey OR . . .

You just don't want to admit it, do ya?



:P :P :P :P :P :P :toast:

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. That he was the best ever?

No, that's what I believe. But it's open to discussion. :D

And even if he wasn't, he was sure as hell the most fun to watch.

Man, can you imagine the Giants playing Pittsburgh back then and getting to see Mays and Clemente? You wouldn't need the rest of the ball game to go home and know you'd seen something special.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

4. Happy Birthday, Willie !!

:party: