My tribute to Willie Mays and lessons learned from the “Say Hey” kid.
by ROB KNOX
I never met Willie Mays or saw him play.
I’ve read books about him. I’ve seen the highlights, including “The Catch” in the 1954 World Series, and heard numerous stories about him. I watched every documentary about him. So, like everybody else, I felt like I knew him. While death is inevitable for all of us at some point, it still rocked me and many others like an uppercut when the iconic Mays passed away peacefully Tuesday night.
Heroes aren’t supposed to die even if he is 93 years old.
The closest I came to meeting Mays was when I stood next to the bronze statue of his glorious right-handed swing outside of Oracle Park in 2010 and inhaled his essence at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham last summer. Mays played his first professional baseball game at Rickwood Field, and walking around the facility that opened in 1910, I felt his presence along with all the other Negro League greats.
Playing at Rickwood Field this week is a fitting tribute to Mays, as this is where he began his career. Walking around this national treasure, I was filled with awe, standing and staring at the field for about 15 minutes, absorbing the historical significance of the beautiful ballpark that once served as a hub for the Negro Leagues excellence.
Mays was more than a stellar baseball performer. His stellar statistics of finishing with a .301 career batting average, 660 home runs, 339 stolen bases, 3,293 hits, and two National League MVP awards don’t do the Baseball Hall of Famer’s legacy justice.
He inspired everyone and made us believe that hard work, dedication, and patience can achieve the impossible. He was an artist who once said, “Anything’s possible, man, and don’t believe otherwise.” He also shared, “You can reach new heights when you put your heart and mind into it.”
Mays’ lesson was to attack everything with joy, have fun, and enjoy each moment. He found his passion in playing baseball, which led to happiness in winning and entertaining fans while making the sport of baseball look ridiculously easy. I lose sight of this whenever I am in a rut or dealing with a difficult situation. Life is meant to be experienced and enjoyed.
Even when things didn’t go well for him or when he was booed or denied a house in a predominately white neighborhood, Mays always had a great attitude about things and kept those around him lifted in positive possibilities. His enthusiasm was contagious. He never accepted anything less from himself than offering his best. Again, another lesson we can learn from him.
Former President Barack Obama consistently referred to Mays as a pioneer who laid the foundation for a Black president. In his book 24, Mays said he’d never thought he’d live long enough to see one because there weren’t even Blacks in the major leagues when he started.
That’s it in a nutshell: Mays inspired us always to dream. Though I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting him, his spirit lives in me and countless others because of his brilliance. As a cultural icon, Mays changed hearts, helped carry forward the banner of Civil Rights, displayed consistent kindness to others, and lived life with a child-like joy that we all should emulate.
Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Hall of Fame, Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).
