The "enormously entertaining and wide-ranging" (Seattle Times)
authorized, definitive, New York Times bestselling biography of Willie
Mays, the most complete baseball player of all time.
Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still
revered for the passion he brought to the game. He began as a teenager
in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the
headliner in Major League Baseball's bold expansion to California. He
was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that enraptured fans
for more than two decades. Now James Hirsch reveals the man behind the
player.
Mays was a transcendent figure who received standing ovations in enemy
stadiums and who, during the turbulent civil rights era, urged
understanding and reconciliation. More than his records, his legacy is
defined by the pure joy that he brought to fans and the loving memories
that have been passed to future generations so they might know the magic
and beauty of the game. With meticulous research and drawing on
interviews with Mays himself as well as with close friends, family, and
teammates, Hirsch presents a brilliant portrait of one of America's most
significant cultural icons.