One of the best baseball players ever, in the 1950s and 1960s Willie Mays dazzled baseball fans with his amazing hitting, base-stealing, and fielding. The first true all-around player, Mays considered the baseball diamond his "stage," and when he retired in 1973 he had earned himself a place in the hearts of the American people.

Born in Westfield, Alabama, in 1931, Mays broke into the professional ranks at age 16 with the Birmingham Black Barons of the National Negro League. On a $250 a month salary he played two years with the Barons before being signed by the New York Giants of Major League Baseball. After just one year in the minors Mays made his much anticipated debut with the Giants in 1951. In spite of a disappointing one for 25 start, Mays lived up to expectations by capturing Rookie-of-the-Year honors that season.

Nicknamed "Say Hey" because he often forgot...