ClimbingSky

Why Baseball, Books, and the Grateful Dead matter

Willie Mays

  • Staying Up for a Late Game

    On July 2nd, 1963, at 12:31 A.M. in San Francisco, Willie Mays homered off Warren Spahn in the bottom of the 16th inning to give Juan Marichal a 1-0 victory in the National League’s longest game ended by a home run In 1963, my family lived in Santa Cruz, California. On the night of July 2nd when the Giants were playing Read more

  • FRIDAY FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Durocher on Willie Mays

    “If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases, and performed a miracle in the field everyday I’d still look you in the eye and say Willie was better. He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw and field. And he had Read more

  • Rickey

    Last week, a text from my friend Bob alerted me to the sad and surprising news that Rickey Henderson, “The Man of Steal,” was dead just a few days short of his 66th birthday. Here is my post from earlier this year occasioned by the death of another G.O.A.T. Read more

  • Willie As A Met

    On August 17th, 1973, 42-year old New York Mets outfielder Willie Mays hit the 660th and final home run of his career off Cincinnati Reds lefty Don Gullett at Shea Stadium. Mays was third on the all-time home run career list at that time behind Babe Ruth (714) and Hank Aaron (703). Mays would retire after Read more

  • A Jack of All Trades

    I have always liked players named Willie: Willie Mays, Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey, Willie Wilson. Now that I think about it, one of my favorite cats was named Willie, as well as my favorite Classic Country singer-songwriter (Willie Nelson). A recent article in the StarTribune by Phil Miller, got me thinking the last few days Read more

  • Greatest Living Player

    With the death of Willie Mays, the discussion of “who is the greatest living player” has begun. While Willie was with us, there was (of course) no debate. Here are the names I have heard mentioned so far: The last name on the list, Pujols, doesn’t really belong on the list. Sure, Pujols was a Read more

  • R.I.P. Willie Mays

    Since my parents were Giants fans (San Francisco Giants fans), I can honestly say that Willie Mays has been a presence in my life as long as I can remember. Both Willie and my parents moved to the “Bay Area” in 1958. Willie with the Giants when they moved from New York to the West Read more

  • Book Review: A Day in the Bleachers by Arnold Hano

    NFL Football is a sport that is much better on television than in person. The concentrated bursts of action between long periods of inactivity are enhanced by instant replay, color commentary telling us all more about what we just watched, and beer commercials featuring scantily clad women. Anyone who has ever watched an NFL football Read more