OTD 1972: Mets Purchase Willie Mays From San Francisco Giants

On May 11, 1972, the Mets made a deal with the San Francisco Giants to bring a legend back to where it began its career when they acquired it Willie Mays for pitcher Charlie Williams and cash ($ 50,000). Mays could end his career in New York, where it began in 1951 at the Polo Grounds for the New York Giants.

The Giants’ owner, Horace Stoneham, got an agreement from the Mets that they would pay Mays $ 50,000 a year for the first ten years of his retirement. The Mets were ready and Mays played his first game in blue and orange on Sunday May 14th when the opponents were the San Francisco Giants.

In Storybook fashion, Mays hit the game-winning home run for the Mets in the fifth inning on a rainy afternoon in Queens, and the Mets won the game 5-4. The Mets jumped out early Rusty dust Grand Slam in the first inning, but the Giants tied the game with four runs against the starter in the fifth Ray Sadecki.

Enter Willie Mays, who played first base in the game, and his home run exploits. Jim McAndrew pitched four innings for relief and saved the win for the New Yorkers.

Mays, who turned 90 on May 6, has been dubbed the greatest baseball player alive, and many would argue that he is the greatest player in the game’s history. Here’s a look at some of his key stats and standing in MLB history.

• Home runs: 660 (6th)
• Hits: 3283 (11.)
• RBIs: 1903 (10th)
• Runs: 2062 (7th)

Here are some of May’s career awards:

• Hall of Fame (1979 with 94.7%)
• 24 all-star games
• 1951 rookie of the year
• 1954 Player of the Year
• NL MVP (1954, 1965)
• ASG MVP (1963, 1968)
• 12 Gold Glove Awards
• BWAR leader (1954-1958, 1960, 1962-1965)
• Career bWAR of 156.1 (5th all-time)

Mays played 21 seasons with the Giants (New York and San Francisco) and two seasons with the Mets. He ended his career with a slash of .302 / .384 / .557 with an OPS of .941 and an OPS + of 156. From 1956 to 1959 he led the National League in stolen bases.

As the Met, Mays scored 14 part-time homers in two seasons. He had the opportunity to end his game days in the World Series and play as the Met in the 1973 fall classic against the Oakland Athletics. Mays scored .286 in three games in that World Series.

One of the most enduring images of Mays as the Met is his plea for home plate referee Augie Donatelli, who called Bud Harrelson in this game on the plate in additional innings of Game Two.

Mays drove in extra innings in Game Two in the winning run, and that was the final success of his playing career. He had announced his resignation on September 25, 1973 at Shea Stadium for believers on the field.

Mays, who suffers from glaucoma, signed a lifelong service contract with the Giants after his active career. He performs for the team and is honored with Oracle Park, who sits in Willie Mays Plaza.

As a final note, Mays missed the entire 1953 season because of military service. In this day and age it is hard to imagine that players would miss seasons or portions of seasons until the early 1970s in order to fulfill their obligations in our nation’s military.

Here’s a metsmerized hat tip for say-hey kid Willie Mays.