Quote

They throw the ball, I hit it. They hit the ball, I catch it.

Willie Mays

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Willie Mays
Age: 93
Born: 1931
Born: May 6
Baseball Player
Jefferson County
Alabama
Willie Howard Mays Jr.
Willie Howard Mays
The Say Hey Kid
Throw
Balls
Baseball
Batting
Sports
Catching
Hitting
Throwing
Catch
Ball

More quotes by Willie Mays

Image
Every time I look at my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson.
Willie Mays
Image
I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day, lay down on my bed, and tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that? It's like crying for your mother after she's gone. You cry because you love her. I cried, I guess, because I loved baseball, and I knew I had to leave it.
Willie Mays
Image
I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.
Willie Mays
Image
Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.
Willie Mays
Image
It isn't hard to be good from time to time in sports. What is tough, is being good every day.
Willie Mays
Image
I don't know what Joe (DiMaggio) wanted (in regards to being called 'the greatest living ballplayer'), but I don't have a problem, if he wanted to do that. He was my hero. Joe was the best all-around player. Joe was the best. I only played against him once, in the '51 Series.
Willie Mays
Image
I don't compare 'em, I just catch 'em.
Willie Mays
Image
I didn't teach you that. Catch the ball with your glove.
Willie Mays
Image
In 1950, when the Giants signed me, they gave me $15,000. I bought a 1950 Mercury. I couldn't drive, but I had it in the parking lot there, and everybody that could drive would drive the car. So it was like a community thing
Willie Mays
Image
And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I don't think I could have made it in basketball, because I was only 5′ 11. So I just picked baseball.
Willie Mays
Image
Baseball is a game, yes. It is also a business. But what is most truly is is disguised combat. For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps.
Willie Mays
Image
What you are thinking, what shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all.
Willie Mays
Image
Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez on his 660th home run, milestones in baseball are meant to be broken and I wish him continued success throughout his career.
Willie Mays
Image
I was very fortunate to play sports. All the anger in me went out. I had to do what I had to do. If you stay angry all the time, then you really don't have a good life.
Willie Mays
Image
When I was in Birmingham I used to go to a place called Redwood Field. I used to get there for a two o'clock game. Where can you make this kind of money playing sports? It was just a pleasure to go out and enjoy myself and get paid for it.
Willie Mays
Image
At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports.
Willie Mays
Image
I'm a very lucky guy. I had so many people help me over the years that I never had many problems. If I had a problem, I could sit down with someone and they would explain the problem to me, and the problem become like a baseball game
Willie Mays
Image
The greatest challenge I think is adjusting to not playing baseball. The reason for that is I had to come out of baseball and come into the business world, not being a college graduate, not being educated to come into the business world the way I should have.
Willie Mays
Image
I would try and help everybody, because the game was so easy for me. It was just like walking in the park.
Willie Mays
Image
Maybe I was born to play ball. Maybe I truly was.
Willie Mays