Willie Mays

Summary

Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseballhistory, still revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as ateenager in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was theheadliner in Major League Baseball’s bold expansion to California. He was ablend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans for more thantwo decades. Now James Hirsch reveals the man behind the player.

Mays was a transcendent figure who received standingovations in enemy stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era,urged understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy isdefined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories thathave been passed to future generations so they might know the magic and beautyof the game. With meticulous research and drawing on interviews with Mayshimself as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents abrilliant portrait of one of America’s most significant cultural icons.