Quote

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

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
Love
Gone
Tears
Lays
Like
Lasts
Motivational
Athlete
Last
Leave
Seasons
Eye
Loved
Bed
Athletic
Inspirational
Went
Cry
Crying
Mother
Knew
Played
Cried
Remember
Came
Baseball
Season
Home
Eyes
Guess
Explain

More quotes by Willie Mays

Image
The catch off Bobby Morgan (a backhanded grab of the Brooklyn Dodger's line drive in September 1951 at Ebbets Field) in Brooklyn was the best catch I ever made. Jackie Robinson and (Giants manager) Leo Durocher were the first people I saw when I opened my eyes
Willie Mays
Image
Yes, I had to learn how to live life outside, but I had so many people help me.
Willie Mays
Image
In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated.
Willie Mays
Image
Maybe I was born to play ball. Maybe I truly was.
Willie Mays
Image
I don't mean to be bashful, but I was
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 played with the Birmingham Black Barons. I was making 500 at 14. That was a lot of money in those days.
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
When I got to professional ball I used to play 150 games every year. It depends on how many games there was.
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
In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without one-hundred percent dedication, you won't be able to do this.
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
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
They throw the ball, I hit it. They hit the ball, I catch it.
Willie Mays
Image
When I'm not hitting, I don't hit nobody. But, when I'm hitting, I hit anybody.
Willie Mays
Image
What's tough is being good every day.
Willie Mays
Image
Every time I look at my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson.
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
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
That's how easy baseball was for me. I'm not trying to brag or anything, but I had the knowledge before I became a professional baseball player to do all these things and know what each guy would hit.
Willie Mays