Why Is Willie Mays Important

“Hall of Famer Ted Williams said it best: ‘They invented the All-Star game for Willie’” (Hood). Willie Mays’ dad played centerfield for the local Birmingham Industrial League Semi-Pro Team. When Mays was young, he would sit in his father's’ team's dugout. This helped him become more familiar with baseball and also helped him understood the rules and strategies of the game by hearing them from his dad's teammates. At one point in his career, Mays and his father played on the same team, himself in centerfield and his old man is left field (“Willie Mays” 1992). Willie Mays has made a positive impact on baseball by setting new records which pushed other players to do the same, he was a good teammate who supported everyone, and helped with the racial problems at that time.

During the 1950s through the 1960s, “Willie Mays” was used as a synonym for being skilled at baseball. Young players still measure their adaptability to Mays, who remains the standard against which kids do this. In 1979, Mays was elected into the Hall of Fame with the most votes in history. He also served in the Army from 1952 to 1953. When he came back home and continued playing for the Giants in the 1954 season, manager Leo Durocher stated that “He means the pennant to us. This year I figure he’ll bat .280 and hit 25 homers”