Saying Goodbye to the Say Hey Kid

The FanGraphs Newsletter, June 21, 2024 [READ IN BROWSER]( June 21, 2024 Willie Mays was the gold standard. We can debate whether he was the greatest baseball player who ever lived or merely on the short list of those with a claim to the title. Based upon both the legend and the statistics, we’re on more solid ground declaring that Mays was the game’s greatest all-around player, accounting for his skill and achievement at the plate, on the bases, and in the field. Combining tremendous power, exceptional speed that factored on both sides of the ball, and preternatural grace afield, the man could do it all on the diamond, and he did it with an endearing, charismatic flair. “The Say Hey Kid” — a nickname bestowed upon him when he was so fresh on the scene that he didn’t know his teammates’ names — projected a youthful exuberance and an innocence that made him an icon. Mays began his professional career while still in high school, with the Birmingham Black Barons, signing a $250-a-month contract in July 1948, when he was just 17 years old. He was supposed to return to Birmingham this week, one of three Negro Leagues alumni from the 1920-48 period — along with [Bill Greason]( and [Ron Teasley]( — slated to attend a major league game tonight between the Cardinals and Giants at [historic Rickwood Field]( the country’s oldest professional ballpark. Sadly, Mays passed away two days ago, in an assisted living facility, at the age of 93. [READ MORE]( [Bat Tracking Shows That Hitting Is Reacting]( Every hitter has a book, a certain way that pitchers try to get them out. The best hitters not only know when to swing, but how to attack the ball. | by Davy Andrews [Zach Neto Is Proving To Be a Bright Spot in Anaheim]( After an adjustment to his setup, Neto is starting to realize his offensive potential. | by Esteban Rivera [The End of the 2016 Cubs Is Coming]( Javier Báez, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo appear to all be rushing towards the epilogue. | by Dan Szymborski [Five Things I Liked (Or Didn't Like) This Week, June 20]( Remembering giants of days past? Check. Running on the Giants of modern baseball? We’ve got that too. | by Ben Clemens [Top of the Order: The Reds’ Inconsistency Belies Their Talent]( Cincinnati is extremely talented, but its season has been uneven at best. What can it do to fix things? | by Jon Becker [What Happened to All Those Steals of Third Base?]( Elly De La Cruz is having a stolen base party at third. Why aren't more of his friends showing up? | by Leo Morgenstern 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 2180: Passing the Greatest-Living-Player Torch]( [DOWNLOAD THE FANGRAPHS APP]( [FanGraphs & Effectively Wild Merch Is Now Available at BreakingT!]( [ORDER HERE]( [Are slow starts from J-Rod, Carroll, Olson real?]( by David Schoenfield, ESPN ($) [Willie Mays Brought Us Together by Being Himself]( by Michael Weinreb, The Ringer [Balls are Traveling Further in 2024 in Progressive Field]( by Jim Albert and Alan M. Nathan, Baseball Prospectus ($) [MLB offense is nearing all-time lows — hitters have theories: ‘Pitching is out of control’]( by Jayson Stark and Eno Sarris, The Athletic ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2024 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 3017 N Underwood StArlington, VA 22213 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](