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One of the most successful players in Major League Baseball was born in Jefferson County.Willie Mays, "The Say Hey Kid," started his career with the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field in 1948.Join us on-air and online at 6:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 20, for our special programming, "Project Community: Unsung Heroes of Black History."Following his high school graduation, Mays was quickly picked up by the San Francisco Giants (then the New York Giants).Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Glove.He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times.His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history.“The Catch” was seen and heard by millions through radio and the then-emerging medium of television, and Mays became one of the first Black athletes with mass media appeal. He was a guest star on “The Donna Reed Show,” “Bewitched” and other sitcoms. He inspired a handful of songs and was named first in Terry Cashman’s 1980s novelty hit, “Talkin’ Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke),” a tribute in part to the brief era when New York had three future Hall of Famers in center: Mays, Mantle of the Yankees and Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers.Ongoing restoration: Work underway to restore Fairfield park in honor of Willie MaysHe was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza.For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ball player with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime.Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic -- one so unstoppable it was simply called “The Catch.”A look at the Willie Mays Open at Rickwood Field that began on Feb. 7, 2025The legend died at the age of 93 during the events preceding "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues" at Rickwood Field in 2024.Video below: Breaking news coverage from the night Willie Mays diedThroughout Black History Month, WVTM 13 is recognizing Alabamians who broke barriers and raised the bar for everyone. Stay with us as we honor and celebrate "Black History Moments."Can't see the interactive infographic? Click here.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
One of the most successful players in Major League Baseball was born in Jefferson County.
Willie Mays, "The Say Hey Kid," started his career with the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field in 1948.
Join us on-air and online at 6:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 20, for our special programming, "Project Community: Unsung Heroes of Black History."
Following his high school graduation, Mays was quickly picked up by the San Francisco Giants (then the New York Giants).
Over 23 major league seasons, virtually all with the New York/San Francisco Giants but also including one in the Negro Leagues, Mays batted .301, hit 660 home runs, totaled 3,293 hits, scored more than 2,000 runs and won 12 Gold Glove.
He was Rookie of the Year in 1951, twice was named the Most Valuable Player and finished in the top 10 for the MVP 10 other times.
His lightning sprint and over-the-shoulder grab of an apparent extra base hit in the 1954 World Series remains the most celebrated defensive play in baseball history.
“The Catch” was seen and heard by millions through radio and the then-emerging medium of television, and Mays became one of the first Black athletes with mass media appeal. He was a guest star on “The Donna Reed Show,” “Bewitched” and other sitcoms. He inspired a handful of songs and was named first in Terry Cashman’s 1980s novelty hit, “Talkin’ Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke),” a tribute in part to the brief era when New York had three future Hall of Famers in center: Mays, Mantle of the Yankees and Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Ongoing restoration: Work underway to restore Fairfield park in honor of Willie Mays
He was voted into the Hall in 1979, his first year of eligibility, and in 1999 followed only Babe Ruth on The Sporting News’ list of the game’s top stars. The Giants retired his uniform number, 24, and set their AT&T Park in San Francisco on Willie Mays Plaza.
For millions in the 1950s and ’60s and after, the smiling ball player with the friendly, high-pitched voice was a signature athlete and showman during an era when baseball was still the signature pastime.
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Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2015, Mays left his fans with countless memories. But a single feat served to capture his magic -- one so unstoppable it was simply called “The Catch.”
A look at the Willie Mays Open at Rickwood Field that began on Feb. 7, 2025
The legend died at the age of 93 during the events preceding "A Tribute to the Negro Leagues" at Rickwood Field in 2024.
Video below: Breaking news coverage from the night Willie Mays died
Throughout Black History Month, WVTM 13 is recognizing Alabamians who broke barriers and raised the bar for everyone. Stay with us as we honor and celebrate "Black History Moments."
Can't see the interactive infographic? Click here.
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