Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays

by Willie Mays, Lou Sahadi

The legendary athlete discusses his greatest plays, his greatest teammates and opponents, his personal life, his days in the Negro Leagues, Contemporary baseball, and his most bitter moment in major league baseball

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

William Howard "Willie" Mays, Jr. was a retired American baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility. Many consider him to be the greatest all-around player of all time.

Mays won two MVP awards and tied a record with 24 appearances in the All-Star Game. He ended his career with 660 career home runs, third at the time of his retirement, and currently fourth all-time. In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, making him the highest-ranking living player at that time. Later that year, he was also elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mays was the only Major League player to have hit a home run in every inning from the 1st through the 16th. He finished his career with a record 22 extra-inning home runs. Mays was one of five NL players to have eight consecutive 100-RBI seasons, along with Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols. Mays hit 50 or more home runs in both 1955 and 1965. This time span represents the longest stretch between 50 plus home run seasons for any player in Major League Baseball history.

Mays' first Major League manager, Leo Durocher, said of Mays: "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 that other ingredient that turns a superstar into a super superstar. He lit up the room when he came in. He was a joy to be around."

Upon his Hall of Fame induction, Mays was asked who was the best player that he had seen during his career. Mays replied, "I thought I was." Ted Williams once said "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays."

Reviews

[Mike Mikulski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised to find this book on the discard sale shelf of the Seward, Alaska Community Library 3 weeks after Willie Mays passed away. Mays’ baseball career spanned from the last years of Negro League Baseball to the beginning of the free agent era in the early 70’s. I just checked the MLB stats page and Mays’ home run total is still at a memorable 660, which surprises me given the year he played for the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948. 660 is also impressive given Mays’ spent two years in the Army during 1952 and 1953. And looking at his 1951 20 HR total and his 1954 total of 41. Add 60 HRs for those two seasons and Mays could have surpassed Babe Ruth’s 714 HRs a few years before Hank Aaron.

The autobiography is a straight forward retrospective of Mays’ early years and a year by year recap of an amazing MLB career that spanned the early 50’s glory days of NY baseball with the Giants, Dodgers and Yankees leading the league, through westward expansion in San Francisco and all the way to a late career return to NY with the Mets. Great stories of a classic time in baseball. I never knew that Bowie Kuhn banned Mays from baseball during retirement for his work as a host with Ballys Atlantic City Casino. Peter Uberoth later reinstated Mays.

Good baseball history of one of the top ball players of all time!

[Stephen Raguskus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally read this when it first came out, but decided to reread it now after Willie’s passing. It’s still not a great book, but there are some good stories from his early days. The second half of his career and his post-baseball life are pretty well glossed over. But you can definitely hear Willie’s voice throughout the book, so it was well worth revisiting it.

[Javier Alaniz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The last Chapter reminds me of Grandpa Simpson rambling on from one pointless story to the next.

In a story about Joe Louis Willie says:
"He'd always take my bedroom. He used to call me "little boy", and would say things like "Little boy, you got any equipment in the house?" He meant ice cream. He always liked to have ice cream around."

HUH? What the hell?

Sorry Willie, but this is why baseball players should not write books.

[Luke Koran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiographies are a complex genre to evaluate, especially those published before the millennium, as these books and their authors tended to stick to straightforward narratives without sharing too much juicy tidbits or controversial analysis. Baseball immortal Willie Mays follows this blueprint in his 1989 book for the most part, with some insightful opinions on his various managers and the advent of free agency thrown in. But simply because a famous person or sporting hero does not give the reader never-before-revealed behind-the-scenes dirt on every other page does not make their autobiography a bad read. (If you desire that, you have just been spoiled by American popular culture and entertainment of the 21st century. Expand your horizons a little).

I greatly enjoyed hearing the story of the Say Hey Kid told by the man himself (albeit with the aid of a ghostwriter). Each and every year of his professional playing career is covered in varying depths of detail. One reason I do prefer biographies over autobiographies is that a third party is better able to put the subject’s accomplishments in perspective and to splash adulation on them without coming across as arrogant and boastful, as if the subject had done themselves in an autobiography. Willie comments a tad on his move up the all-time home run list as his career winds down, but his other gaudy numbers are not appreciated for their true greatness. It makes no difference to this reader that this book is 30 years old and that recent biographies, namely that produced by James S. Hirsch, give Mays’ story the star treatment. These are the thoughts and stories of possibly the greatest baseball player who ever lived, and all should discover and respect this book for what it is.

[Robert Giesenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very first sports biography I ever read. My parents bought me this when I was as 10 and I loved every bit of it. Willie Mays retired well before I was born but I’ve been enamored with him since I became a fan of baseball.

[Joe Swaim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast, easy read. Not the greatest baseball biography I've read, but it does do a good job of chronicling his career, season by season, and his thoughts on all his managers.

[Faloni © · Rating 5 out of 5]

📘 "Willie Mays" offers an inspiring look at a baseball icon. ⚾️ Packed with history and heart, it's a home run for sports fans! 🌟📚

[Ty Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This autobiography is about a boy whos dream about to playing baseball in the big league. HE was born in a little city living with his dad and two aunts. When he gets called up he plays with his dad him playing center and his dad playing left so now he tries his ahrdest to make the big league and his shocking story to show how he has become one of the best players in the majors.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another eye opening read of my childhood

[Steve Schinke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average for what it was intended to be. Not many detailed personal thoughts, but a decent season by season chronicle of his career. For baseball fans only.