Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, James S. Hirsch. Scribners (ISBN: 9781416547914), 2011.

Summary: Willie Mays’ authorized biography, his passion for every aspect of the game, and his greatness on and off the field.

When Willie Mays died earlier this year, my friend Matt recommended this as a great book about his life. Matt was right. I read a baseball book every summer and this became my book for 2024. Mays was my childhood hero. I tried (and failed) to master the basket catch. We all took to wearing our gloves with the index finger out.

James S. Hirsch persisted over several years to secure Mays’ permission to write this story and won his trust and help with interviews, documents and images, and connections with others who could help the story. And Hirsch turned all of that into a meticulously researched biography that ranks, along with Mays himself, among the greats in baseball history.

Beginning with Mays’ family, he traces the rise of Mays, learning from his father “Cat,” playing in the Negro Leagues for the Birmingham Barons, and his quick journey from Minneapolis to the New York Giants. He describes the support of owner Horace Stoneham, the mentoring of Leo Durocher, and the protection of Frank Forbes, who kept him out of trouble. And of course, there was the talent: speed, fielding, throwing, hitting and power. Throughout, Hirsch recounts the big moments, including “the catch” against Vic Wertz in the 1954 World Series. We’re reminded of the clutch hits and homers, but also of his savvy on the bases, helping others advance. In addition, Hirsch portrays Mays’ passion for the game including his exacting study of every hitter, every pitcher.

But being Willie Mays was about far more than skill and competitiveness. For example, his quick presence of mind may have saved the career of hot-tempered Orlando Cepeda, who went after a pitcher with his bat. Mays tackled him. When opposing catcher John Roseboro was in a fight with Juan Marichal, Mays got a bleeding Roseboro off the field.. He mentored younger players. One of his great loves was kids, and it was not uncommon to find him playing stickball in the Harlem streets.

Hirsch explores how Mays dealt with race. He was criticized by Jackie Robinson and others for not being more vocal. Yet Mays persisted in buying a home in an exclusive San Francisco neighborhood when residents opposed it and made threats. He let his excellence and physical toughness speak. Rather than confront, he invested in youth programs, and opened doors for others.

At the same time, Hirsch is forthright about Mays’ flaws. He chose badly in his first marriage and Marghuerite’s expensive tastes as well as Willie’s carefree generosity put him in financial straits for many years. Only late in his career did several people helped him pay off debts and manage and invest more wisely. Only later in his life in Mae did he find a partner who understood his love of the game. And then there is the intensity at which Mays played, landing him in the hospital with exhaustion several times.

Hirsch’s account leaves us wondering about some might-have-beens. What if Mays did not serve for nearly two seasons in the military and play half his career in Candlestick Park, robbing him of home runs? Might he have surpassed Ruth and rivaled Aaron? And what could he have earned were it not for baseball’s reserve clause?

Mays played before performance enhancing drugs. He was able to play hard because he didn’t live hard. In this biography, Hirsch portrays Mays’ love for the game that gave him the platform to care for kids, mentor others, and bring joy to fans. The “Say Hey” kid was one of a kind.