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<mask> (born June 19, 1996) is a Canadian racquetball player. He was a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. Junior years
<mask> was a prodigious player as a junior, winning several Canadian Junior National Championships (Junior Nationals), including four Boy's U18 titles, which is a record. In Boys' Singles, he won U10 in 2007, Boy's U12 in 2009, and Boy's U14 in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, <mask> won both Boy's U16 and Boy's U18 at Junior Nationals. He also won Boy's U18 in his last two years of eligibility: 2014 and 2015. In those last two years he also won Boy's U18 Doubles: with Matthew Swaine in 2014 and with Nicolas Bousquet in 2015.At the International Racquetball Federation World Junior Championships, <mask> finished 3rd in U14 in 2010 and 2011, 1st in U16 in 2012, and 3rd in 2013 in U16 and 3rd in U18 in 2014. He also played doubles at World Juniors finishing 3rd in U14 with Sami Harb in 2010, and 3rd in U14 with Matthew Swaine in 2011, 2nd in U16 with Harb in 2012, and 3rd in U16 with Nicolas Bousquet in 2013. 2012 - Career begins
<mask> played in the Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event in February 2012 in Regina, where he lost in the Round of 16 to Francis Guillemette, 16-14, 15-8. <mask> played at the Canadian National Championships (Nationals) for the first time in 2012 in Brossard, Québec, where he lost in the Round of 16 to Eric Desrochers, 15-7, 16-14. <mask> played Men's Doubles with Kurtis Cullen that year, and they lost in the quarterfinals to Mike Green and Kris Odegard, 15-2, 15-3. <mask> played in the 1st Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event of the 2012-13 season in November 2012 in Kelowna, British Columbia, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Tim Landeryou, 7-15, 16-14, 11-4. In the 2nd Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event that season in February 2013 in Brossard, Québec, where he defeated Samuel Murray in the quarterfinals, 15-13, 16-14, but lost to Mike Green in the semi-finals, 15-13, 15-2.<mask> beat Pedro Castro in the 3rd place match, 15-8, 15-10. <mask> played Men's Doubles with veteran Mike Green at the 2013 Canadian Championships in Langley, British Columbia, and they won the title, defeating Lee Connell and Francis Guillemette in the final, 15-5, 15-6. In the semi-finals, the defeated the brother team of Samuel Murray and Tommy Murray, 15-3, 15-6. That year in Men's Singles, <mask> lost to his partner Green, 15-3, 13-15, 11-2, in the semi-finals. But he won the 3rd place match against Nathaniel Husulak, 15-11, 15-7. In November 2013, <mask> finished 3rd at the 1st National Team Selection Event of the 2013-14 season in Winnipeg, where he reached the semi-finals by defeating Nathaniel Husulak in the quarterfinals, 15-6, 15-7, but lost to Mike Green, 15-6, 15-9. In the 3rd place match, he defeated Samuel Murray, 15-10, 15-8.In the 2nd National Team Selection Event that season, he again played Green in the semis, and lost but in three games, 15-12, 8-15, 11-1, in Brossard, Québec in January 2014. In the 3rd place match, Tim Landeryou defeated <mask>, 15-7, 14-16, 11-6. The 2014 Canadian National Championships were also in Brossard, and <mask> played doubles with Kurtis Cullen. They were seeded 4th, but were upset in the quarterfinals by veterans Francis Guillemette and Corey Osborne, 15-12, 15-11. <mask> was 3rd in Men's Singles for the second time, as he lost to eventual champion Vincent Gagnon, 15-10, 15-17, 11-6, in the semi-finals, but won the 3rd place match versus Samuel Murray, 13-15, 15-6, 11-8. That summer <mask> played for Canada for the first time by participating in the 2014 Pan American Sports Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he defeated team-mate Samuel Murray, 15-9, 10-15, 11-3, in the Round of 16, but lost to David Horn of the US in the quarterfinals, 8-15, 15-14, 11-6. <mask> competed on the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) in 2014, and won the Fall Brawl event in Lombard, Illinois.He was seeded 7th, but he defeated 10th seed Sebastian Franco in the Round of 16, 15-11, 15-13, 2nd seed Polo Gutierrez in the quarterfinals, 15-6, 15-10, 3rd seed David Horn in the semi-finals, 10-15, 15-4, 11-5, and 1st seed Alejandro Cardona in the final, 9-15, 15-9, 11-8. He reached the quarterfinals in the other four WRT events that year. In November 2014, <mask> defeated Samuel Murray, in the quarterfinals, 15-9, 15-10, of the 1st National Team Selection Event of the 2014-15 season in Kitchener, Ontario. He then lost to Mike Green, 15-6, 15-6, in the semi-finals. <mask> finished 3rd by defeating Tim Landeryou, 15-11, 15-9. He won the 2nd Selection Event that season in Brossard, Québec, where he beat Pedro Castro in the final, 15-9, 6-15, 11-8. In the semi-finals, <mask> beat Landeryou, 12-15, 15-4, 11-7.<mask> played seven tournaments in the 2014-15 International Racquetball Tour season, but only made it to the quarterfinals in the second last event of the season: the 2015 ProKennex Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon, where he defeated Jose Rojas, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10, in the Round of 16, and then lost to Daniel De La Rosa in the quarterfinals, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6. Previously that season, he'd played three tie-breakers in the Round of 16, losing two of them to De La Rosa and one to Jansen Allen. <mask> built on the success he had at the 2nd Selection Event to win both Men's Singles and Men's Doubles at the 2015 Nationals in Burnaby, British Columbia. In Men's Singles, <mask> defeated Samuel Murray in the final, 15-10, 12-15, 11-7, to win his 1st Canadian Championship in Men's Singles. To reach the final, <mask> beat Tim Landeryou in the quarterfinals, 15-8, 15-0, and Mike Green in the semi-finals, 15-11, 15-12. In Men's Doubles in Burnaby, <mask> played with Green, with whom he'd won the title two years before. They faced the defending champions Vincent Gagnon and Samuel Murray in the semi-finals, winning 15-9, 9-15, 11-4.In the final, they beat Nicolas Bousquet and Tommy Murray, 15-3, 15-11. Those wins got <mask> a spot on Team Canada for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where he played Men's Singles. In the medal round, he defeated Fernando Rios of Ecuador and Jake Bredenbeck, 15-4 15-9, before losing to Mexican Alvaro Beltran in the quarterfinals, 15-3, 15-7. But <mask> helped Canada earn a bronze medal in the Men's Team event. Canada played the US in the semi-finals, and the deciding match was <mask> versus Rocky Carson. After losing game one, <mask> had a chance to force a tie-breaker, but came up short, as Carson won in two straight games, 15-6, 15-14. Following the Pan American Games, <mask>, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, went on a two-year mission to Japan.2017 - Career resumes
Returning to competition, <mask> played the 1st National Team Selection event of the 2017-18 season in Vernon, British Columbia, where he lost in the semi-finals to Samuel Murray, 15-11, 15-8. <mask> met Murray in the semi-finals of the 2nd National Team Selection Event that season in Kitchener, Ontario with the same result: a win for Murray, 15-2, 15-5. <mask> and Murray played Men's Doubles together at the 2018 Canadian Championships in Winnipeg, and they won the title by defeating Nicolas Bousquet and Tommy Murray in the final, 15-13, 10-15, 11-6. They beat the brother team of James Landeryou and Tim Landeryou in the semi-finals, 15-13, 15-10. In Men's Singles, <mask> finished 2nd, as he lost to Murray in the final, 15-7, 10-15, 11-2. <mask> got to the final by defeating Tim Landeryou in the semi-finals, 15-6, 15-13. <mask> represented Canada at the Racquetball World Championships for the first time in 2018 in San José, Costa Rica, where he played Men's Singles.In the medal round, he won his first match against Daeyong Kwon of South Korea, 15-11, 15-2, but lost to Colombian Mario Mercado in a tie-breaker, 15-13, 10-15, 11-9, in the Round of 16. <mask> was a finalist at the World Racquetball Tour 2018 Canadian Open in Calgary, where he lost to Andree Parrilla in the final, 15-11, 15-13. He reached the final by defeating Gerardo Franco in the semi-finals, 15-7, 15-11. In the 2018-19 season, <mask> was runner up to Samuel Murray at both the 1st National Team Selection Event in Valleyfield, Québec, where he was beaten in three games, 9-15, 15-6, 11-6, and the 2nd National Team Selection Event in Grande Prairie, Alberta, losing 15-10, 15-10. In the second Racquetball Canada National Team Selection event of 2018-19 in Grande Prairie, Alberta, <mask> was 2nd to Murray, who won their final, 15-10, 15-10, in the final. He beat Trevor Webb in the semi-finals, 15-4, 14-15, 11-9. <mask> was a member of Team Canada for the 2019 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he reached an international final for the first time.<mask> and Samuel Murray were finalists in Men's Doubles. They beat Costa Ricans Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho in the semi-finals, 8-15, 15-1, 11-3, but lost to Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, 2-15, 15-9, 11-2, in the final. <mask> also played Men's Singles in Barranquilla, where he lost in the Round of 16 to eventual Pan Am Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia, 15-10, 15-9. <mask> was runner up in Men's Singles at the 2019 Canadian Championships, as he lost in the final to Samuel Murray, 15-3, 15-6, in Langley, British Columbia. He beat Tim Landeryou in the semi-finals, 15-13, 15-2. <mask> played doubles with Trevor Webb for the first time, and they finished 3rd. They lost in the semi-finals to Murray and his brother Tommy, 11-15, 15-10, 11-4.But they won the 3rd place match against Nicolas Bousquet and Pedro Castro, 15-11, 15-9. For the 2nd time in his career, <mask> played in the Pan American Games. He competed in the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, where he played in Men's Singles, Men's Doubles, and the Men's Team event. <mask> was a quarterfinalist in all three. In Men's Singles, he narrowly lost to eventual silver medalist Alvaro Beltran of Mexico, 15-14, 15-13. He played Men's Doubles with Samuel Murray, and as in singles, <mask> and Murray were quarterfinalists, losing to Mexicans Rodrigo Montoya and Javier Mar, 15-5, 15-6. Murray and <mask> lost in the Men's Team quarterfinals to Colombia, who went on to take silver.In the 2019-20 season, <mask> finished 2nd at both National Team Selection Events. The first was held in Sherwood Park, Alberta, where he was runner up to Samuel Murray, losing in the final, 15-5, 15-8. He also lost to Murray in the final of the second event in Winnipeg, although that match went to a tie-breaker with Murray coming out on top, 8-15, 15-7, 11-1. Career summary
<mask> has won four Canadian Championships: one in Men's Singles in 2015, and three in Men's Doubles - in 2013 and 2015 with Mike Green and in 2018 with Samuel Murray. He's played for Team Canada six times, earning a bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games, and a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Racquetball Championships. Career record
This table lists <mask>'s results across annual events. Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16.The years refer to the year the event occurred or the season in which they occurred. For example, <mask> was a finalist in both Selection Event #1 and #2 in the 2018-19 season, although those events happened in different calendar years. "*" = Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Personal

<mask> lives in Lethbridge, Alberta. His cousin Alexis also plays racquetball, and was a Canadian Junior Champion. See also

 List of racquetball players

References

External links
 <mask> Iwaasa page at Canadian Olympic Committee site

Living people
1996 births
Sportspeople from Lethbridge
Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada
Canadian racquetball players
Racquetball players at the 2015 Pan American Games
Pan American Games medalists in racquetball
Racquetball players at the 2019 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games

masks:
Coby Iwaasa
Iwaasa
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type: original

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James Gregory Scheffer (born June 8, 1970), professionally known as <mask>, is an American record producer, songwriter, businessman and DJ from South Florida. Jonsin has collaborated with numerous artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Eminem, Yelawolf, Nelly, T.I., Danity Kane and Jamie Foxx, among others. <mask> won a Grammy in 2009, for Best Rap Song for Lil Wayne's "Lollipop". That year he was also nominated for his production on T.I. 's "Whatever You Like", which also garnered a nomination for Best Rap Song. <mask> has contributed production to albums including Beyoncé's I Am... Sasha Fierce (2010 Best Contemporary R&B album), Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III (2008 Best Rap Album), Usher's Raymond v. Raymond (2011 Best Contemporary R&B album), and Usher's "There Goes My Baby" (2011 Best Male R&B Vocal Performance), and Eminem's Recovery (2011 Best Rap Album and Album of the Year). In 2006, <mask> launched Rebel Rock Entertainment, his own record label imprint and subsequently signed a then unknown musician by the name of B.o.B.<mask> then partnered with Atlantic Records, and later Grand Hustle, in a joint venture deal to work on B.o.B. 's debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010). The album, which was executive produced by <mask> and T.I., debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. He also signed the production duo, FnZ, and Danny Morris to his production company, Rebel Rock Productions. In addition to his ventures in music, <mask> has recently entered into the field of professional racing by forming his own motorsports team, Rebel Rock Racing. <mask> will be driving a Porsche 911 in the upcoming Grand-am Road Racing series with co-driver D.J. Randall.Early life
<mask> was born in Brooklyn, New York City but was raised in South Florida. <mask>'s first job in the music business was as a scratch DJ. At the age of 14, <mask> was spinning records at local skating rinks and other venues. By 18 <mask> had graduated to spinning at Miami and South Florida dance clubs and formed his own record label called Cut It Up Def Records and produced one of its first singles, "Cut It Up Def" which independently sold 40,000 units. <mask> had become well known in the region by the time he released his next production, the single "Party Time", which he also rapped on. <mask>'s success in South Florida led him to a deal with California-based Heat Wave Records. Going by his new artist moniker, DJ Jealous J, he released a compilation of Miami bass songs titled Miami Bass Jams.The first two singles from the collection were certified Gold. <mask> went on to tour with some of the most popular acts of the time such as Cypress Hill, 2 Live Crew, and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Music career
In the late 1990s, <mask> was no longer on tour and returned to Miami to produce more bass records and eventually landed a position as an engineer at Slip N Slide records. At the label <mask> produced records for Trick Daddy and Trina. In 2004 <mask> went on to write and produce Trick Daddy's hit single "Let's Go" (featuring Lil Jon & Twista). Soon after the success of this song <mask> went on to work with Miami rapper Pitbull and produced "Dammit Man" off the rapper's debut album M.I.A.M.I., which was certified Gold. The music industry began to take notice of the Miami-based producer and <mask> was tapped by Bad Boy Records to produce a record for the group which was made widely popular by the MTV reality show, Making the Band, Danity Kane.<mask> produced their single entitled "Show Stopper" which went on to be certified Gold by the RIAA. In 2008, <mask> wrote and produced for Lil Wayne's 5x platinum single "Lollipop" released in early 2008. The song was at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for 5 weeks which was the first time Lil Wayne had achieved this chart position. In addition to the chart success at the 51st Grammys <mask> won for Best Rap Song. A few months after the release of "Lollipop", <mask> followed up with writing and producing T.I. 's 5x platinum single "Whatever You Like". The song found cross over success and was on Billboard's Hot 100 for 7 weeks."Whatever You Like" was also a popular ringmaster spending 18 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot Ringmaster's chart. At the close of 2008 continued this string of success with his production on Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's "Kiss Me Thru The Phone". The song was downloaded over 2 million times and was also a popular ringmaster spending 11 weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot Ringmaster's chart. The song went on to reach number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart. In 2009, <mask> co-produced the single entitled "Sweet Dreams" on Beyonce's multi Grammy winning and double platinum album I Am…Sasha Fierce. This record achieved platinum status and reached #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Shortly after "Sweet Dreams" was released <mask> reteamed with Pitbull, producing "Hotel Room Service" which was certified platinum and reached #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.The late summer of 2010 proved to be another high point for <mask>'s career. On August 16 Nelly released "Just a Dream", co-produced by <mask>. This single went platinum and reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The day after "Just a Dream" was released, Kid Cudi released the Jonsin-produced "Erase Me" featuring Kanye West, which reached #22 on Billboard's Hot 100. Another August release <mask> wrote and produced on was former American Idol winner Fantasia on "Falling In Love Tonight" off of Fantasia's Grammy nominated album Back To Me. In early 2011 Nelly released "Gone" featuring Kelly Rowland, which <mask> again co-produced. The single is a follow-up to Nelly's single "Dilemma" from 2002 which also featured Rowland and reigned for 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.<mask> produced Eminem's "Space Bound" from Recovery, the top selling album of 2010 as well as the 53rd Grammy's Best Rap Album. "On My Level" was released by Wiz Khalifa (which features Too Short) on Rolling Papers on March 29, 2011. Ventures

Rebel Rock Entertainment
<mask> formed his record label, Rebel Rock Entertainment, in 2006. He signed B.o.B as the label's first artist, who in 2010 made his debut appearance on to the music scene with great success. B.o.B first released the double platinum single Nothin' On You which went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and was nominated for 3 Grammys. The artist followed "Nothin' on You" with the triple platinum single "Airplanes" which made it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was itself nominated for a Grammy. B.o.B's third release, "Magic", went platinum and landed at #10 on Billboard's Hot 100.<mask> served as executive producer for B.o.B's debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray and is credited with choosing the artist's first single, "Nothin' on You". The song ultimately turned out to be one of the biggest records of the year. B.o.B. garnered several awards in late 2010 and early 2011. The rapper was nominated at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards for five awards. Additionally in 2010 he was nominated for 3 American Music Awards, 3 BET Awards, 7 BET Hip Hop Awards, 4 MTV Video Music Awards, and 1 MTV Europe Music Award. B.o.B won the 2010 Soul Train Awards for Best Song "Nothin' On You" and gained a nomination for Best New Artist.B.o.B won the 2010 Teen Choice Awards Hook Up Song for "Airplanes" and was nominated for five others. <mask> plans to follow up the success of his imprint's first artist with two other singers which he signed in 2011, Nick Merico and Leroy. Rebel Rock Productions
Jonsin signed three producers, Finatik and Zac—an Australian production duo, and Danny Morris to his production company, Rebel Rock Productions. Danny Morris has worked with <mask> on several releases including Usher's "There Goes My Baby", and "Making Love (Into the Night)", Fantasia's "Falling In Love Tonight", Kelly Rowland's "Take Everything" and "Motivation", Tank's "Scream", N Dubz's "Girls" and Wiz Khalifa's "On My Level". Finatik and Zac also have some upcoming releases for the Def Jam artist Wax ("Two Wheels/DUI") and the Universal Records artist Pac Div ("Loose"). Rebel Made
Jonsin formed Rebel Made Publishing Company in 2009 as a venture with his management team, Made. Writers signed to Rebel Made's roster include Terence Reid, formerly of The Network, along with fellow producers Finatik and Zac and Danny Morris.Rebel Rock Racing
In 2010, <mask> formed a racing team named Rebel Rock Racing, composed of him, Bucky Lasek (Pro Skateboarder and ten time X Games gold medalist) and Marius Avemarg (pro driver from Germany). The race team is supported by its ambassadors, Pitbull, Kyle Loza, and Yelawolf and sponsors such as Beats by Dre and Oakley. American Idol
<mask> appeared on the 10th season of American Idol in 2011. <mask> was handpicked by Interscope's <mask> as one of a handful of producers to serve as mentors to the contestants. <mask> will be working with the contestants each week to produce and record cover songs which will be released for sale on iTunes. Musical influences and techniques
<mask> has cited DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jam Master Jay as strong musical influences on his style and has been known to use an MPC 3000, a Roland TR 808, and an Access Virus TI as his preferred gear.

masks:
Jim Jonsin
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<mask>, DCM (5 May 1913 – 11 March 1973) was a New Zealand soldier who fought in the Second World War with the Yugoslav partisans. He was a recipient of the Soviet Medal for Valor, the only New Zealand soldier of the Second World War to be honoured in this way. Born in Scotland, <mask>'s family emigrated to New Zealand when he was a boy. On the outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) for service in the conflict. Made a prisoner of war during the Battle of Greece, he was held in a camp in Yugoslavia from April 1941. He escaped in December and linked up with Yugoslav partisans. He became a leader in the partisans' activities against the occupying German forces and was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions during an attack on a train.His services with the partisans resulted in him being awarded the Soviet Medal for Valor. Wounded several times during his service with the partisans, he was repatriated to New Zealand in June 1944. He was discharged from the 2NZEF in September 1944. He later operated a taxi business and died in 1973. Early life
<mask> was born on 5 May 1913 in Glasgow, Scotland, to Michael Joseph <mask>, a dock worker, and his wife Jeanie . The <mask> family moved in New Zealand in 1925 and he completed his education at a Marist Brothers school in Christchurch. He then became a farm worker but was later employed as a storeman in Christchurch.In June 1934, he married Edna ; the couple had four children. Second World War
On the outbreak of the Second World War, <mask> enlisted in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), being raised for service aboard. He was posted to the 20th Battalion which was being formed at Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch. In January 1940 the battalion left New Zealand as part of the 1st Echelon of the 2nd New Zealand Division. The next several months were spent training in Egypt but in March 1941, the division was one of a number of Allied formations sent to Greece to assist in the defence of the country. By this time Denvir had been promoted to corporal. Following the commencement of the Battle of Greece in April 1941, the Allies soon found themselves outclassed and in retreat.Within days, it was decided to evacuate the New Zealanders from beaches in the Peloponnese peninsula. However, the 20th Battalion's route to the beaches were cut off. While most were eventually evacuated from alternative sites to the west of Athens, <mask> was among those who were captured and made prisoners of war. <mask> was taken to occupied Yugoslavia where he was held in a prisoner of war camp at Maribor. In September 1941, he managed to escape with two others and made his way to Zagreb, where he was recaptured a week later. As punishment, he received three weeks of solitary confinement. This did not deter him from further escape attempts, and in December he again was able to get away from his captors.This time, he made his way to Ljubljana, in Slovenia. Initially intending to make their way to Turkey, a neutral power, he and another escapee decided to link up with Yugoslav partisans (National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia) the following month instead. Service with the Yugoslav partisans

Initially, he served as a machine-gunner but soon raised a group of 60 mounted infantry. By October 1942, he was serving with the 1st (Ljubo Sercer) Battalion, Krimski Odred, and later was commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Slovenian National Freedom Shock (Ljubo Sercer) Brigade. Earlier in the year, it had been reported in New Zealand that Denvir had died and as a result, a death certificate had been issued. His employer had been making regular payments into a bank account set up for him while he was on active service and this paid out £100 to his wife on the announcement of his death. By January 1943, it had become known that he was alive and serving with the partisans; his employer resumed making payments into his bank account.Wounded for the fourth time in September 1943, <mask> was promoted to honorary lieutenant in the partisans the following month. In December, he was given command of a partisan brigade. Early the following year, he was evacuated to Italy to receive medical treatment. On his recovery, he worked with a British organisation providing equipment and supplies to the partisans before rejoining the 2nd New Zealand Division. He was promoted to sergeant, with effect from the date of his capture during the Battle of Greece, and then received a commission as a second lieutenant. For his actions during an attack mounted by the partisans on a train in August the previous year, <mask> was recommended for the Distinguished Service Medal (DCM) by a British liaison officer working with the Yugoslavs. The DCM was published in the London Gazette on 27 April 1944, in recognition of "gallant and distinguished services in the field".The same month, he was awarded the Soviet Medal for Valour. The recommendation, based on his service in Yugoslavia with the partisans, was made by Soviet liaison officers attached to the headquarters of Marshal Josip Tito. <mask> was the first and only New Zealand soldier of the war to be recognised with this award. He was sent back to New Zealand on furlough, arriving in June 1944. Initially passed as fit for a return to duty with the 2nd New Zealand Division, his status was later downgraded and he was considered unfit for active service. In September he was discharged from the 2NZEF. He was invested with the Soviet Medal for Valour by Brigadier E. Rowlings, the commander of the Southern Military District, in a ceremony at Burnham Military Camp on 14 December.Later life
Returning to civilian life, he went into partnership in a taxi business, operating in Temuka. He later lived in Christchurch and then Blenheim. He made at least two visits to Eastern Europe; one in 1955 to Slovenia during which he was invested with a number of Yugoslav awards for his war service there and received an honorary promotion to major in the Yugoslav Army. On this trip, Marshal Tito presented him with a sporting rifle. The second visit was in 1967, for a reunion of the battalion he led during the war. He died on 11 March 1973 in Blenheim, survived by his wife and children. Notes

References

1913 births
1973 deaths
New Zealand military personnel of World War II
New Zealand recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
Recipients of the Medal "For Courage" (Russia)
Yugoslav Partisans
Military personnel from Glasgow
British emigrants to New Zealand
New Zealand people of Scottish descent

masks:
John Denvir
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John Denvir
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<mask> (born Phillip John Nicolosi) (10 July 1907 – 1986) was an American boxer who took the National Boxing Association World Light Heavyweight title by defeating Dave Maier on March 18, 1932, in Chicago. Early life and career highlights
Phillip John Nicolosi, was born on July 10, 1907, in Sandusky, Ohio, to Italian immigrant parents Ida and Thomas. During their lives, the family used more than one Anglicized spelling of their Italian surname, though Nicolosi's public and ringname remained <mask>. He would become a quite capable boxer with good ringcraft who fought the best competition of his era. On January 30, 1928, he lost to the exceptional black middleweight contender Jack McVey in Rochester, New York in a ten-round technical knockout. The bout was stopped by the referee in the final round with <mask> hanging helplessly on the ropes. McVey won every round, efficiently landing both head and body shots.<mask> lost again to McVey in a ten-round points decision in Buffalo, New York, in October of that year with both boxers fighting as welterweights. On August 25, 1931, <mask> finally defeated McVey, at least by newspaper decision, in a ten-round battle in Sandusky, Ohio. <mask> used speed, timing and a strong right to control the bout. The Associated Press gave <mask> every round, with the possible exception of the first and sixth. <mask> began to take a deciding margin on points in the third and fourth with consistent attacks. <mask> seemed on the verge of a knockout in the eighth through tenth, but McVey stayed on his feet throughout the bout using great defensive skills. Osk Till, a Light Heavy contender, fell to <mask> in a six-round points decision at the Broadway Ballroom in Buffalo on November 25, 1929.Harry Fuller drew with <mask> on February 10, 1930, in six rounds in Buffalo. The middleweights fought a lively bout. <mask> defeated Henry Firpo on March 24, 1930, in Oil City, Pennsylvania. The pace of the bout was unpopular with the crowd of 15,000 as both boxers moved slowly using caution and careful ringcraft in their defense. Nichol's trusty left had little snap against the effective blocking of Firpo. <mask>, the aggressor, led for the first seven rounds. The pace increased in the final three heats with <mask> breaking the close margin in the tenth which he won handily.Tiger Thomas lost to <mask> on July 25, 1930, in a close but controversial six-round decision. The referee gave Thomas four of the six rounds for his aggressive two armed technique, though both judges scored for <mask> who clearly led in the early rounds. The crowd of 3000 booed the ruling, believing the bout belonged to Thomas, the local boxer. Though Thomas staged a gallant come back in the closing rounds, it was too late to take the decision. Led in the early rounds in "Banovic Captures Decision", Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, pg. 11, 26 July 1930</ref>

<mask> outpointed accomplished black middleweight Sunny Jim Williams in a ten-round points decision on November 11, 1930, in Franklin, Pennsylvania. Williams may have lost the favor of the judges as a result of his defensive posture through much of the bout.<mask> used his powerful left in the fourth and sixth to bring his opponent close to a knockout but <mask> weathered the attack exhibiting endurance and a skilled elusive strategy. In the middle of the forth, <mask> staggered his opponent with a left to the face that nearly led to a knockout, but for the sounding of the bell. Williams finally went down for a no count at the start of the fifth. One reporter gave Williams only the fifth, with seven rounds to <mask> and two even. <mask> gained an easy victory over Charley Belanger, the Light Heavy Champion of Canada, on December 3, 1930, at the Broadway Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. <mask> won handily taking seven of the ten rounds, that put him on course for the Light Heavyweight championship. Rosy Rosales fell to <mask> in a fourth-round technical knockout on June 15, 1931, at Braves Field in Boston.Though a close fight, <mask> seemed dominant. In the fourth, Rosales, suffering from a cut to his eye  dropped to the mat without being hit, and the referee stopped the bout. <mask> met Leo Laravee on July 13, 1931, winning a ten-round points decision at Brave's Field in Boston. <mask> floored Laravee for nine in the eighth, but he came off the deck gave his rival a great match through the final bell. In the enthralling clash of middleweights, <mask> stung his rival with his powerful left but Laravee fought back stronger than before. After being floored in the eighth, Laravee fought back with a two fisted barrage that thwarted Nichol's attempts at a knockout. <mask> appeared to have a slight edge in seven of the ten rounds.<mask> won a decisive newspaper decision against powerful puncher Chuck Burns on October 1, 1931, at Esmund Athletic Field in Sandusky, Ohio. One reporter gave eight rounds to <mask>, one round for Burns and one round a draw. <mask> entered the ring with bruised and swollen hands that apparently affected his ability to deliver a knockout punch or even knock his opponent to the mat. <mask> displayed his characteristic strong left and right jab and remained the aggressor through much of the bout. Burns opened up in the tenth to take the round by a slight edge. <mask> had defeated Burns earlier in December 1930 in Buffalo, New York. Participating in the NBA Middle and Light Heavy championships

<mask> had an easy time defeating black boxer Snowflake Wright on September 25, 1931, taking all ten of the bout's rounds.Wright, however, showed determination in avoiding a knockdown, even in the heated tenth round where he fended off Nichol's lefts to the face and body. At the end, <mask> lacked the punch to end the bout, though <mask> was at his mercy. The bout was the first round of the NBA Middleweight elimination tournament. On November 3, 1931, <mask> withdrew from the tournament after losing to future American and NBA World Middleweight champion Gorilla Jones in the Quarterfinals. Jones, the exceptional Black boxer from Akron, Ohio, would advance to the final round and take the Middleweight title on January 25, defeating Oddone Piazza. After the tournament, <mask> lost to Dave Maier in a seventh-round technical knockout on November 27, 1931, in Buffalo. In the sixth, <mask> received a bad cut near his eye.Facing a furious barrage of punches, <mask> was down twice in the seventh for counts of nine before Maier put him to the mat for the final time. Opening rounds, Light Heavy Tournament
Don Petrin lost to <mask> on December 30, 1931, in the second round of the NBA World Light Heavyweight Tournament. <mask> scored a technical knockout over Petrin one minute into the fifth round of eight in Chicago, though he had taken considerable punishment in the early rounds. A terrific left hook to the chin of Petrin landed him on the mat for a count of nine. <mask> then closed the bout with rights and lefts nearly knocking his opponent out of the ring. The referee called the bout with Petrin hanging over the ropes, and unable to mount a defense. In the third round of the NBA tournament, on January 15, 1932, <mask> defeated Charley Bellanger in a ten-round points decision.<mask> knocked down Belanger for a count of nine in the fifth, and broadened his margin in the remaining rounds. Bellanger, who had a nine-pound weight advantage, used his experience in ringcraft to weather the remainder of the bout. NBA Light Heavyweight tournament, 1932
<mask> scored a decisive victory over Lou Scozza on January 28, 1932, in the fourth round of the NBA light heavyweight elimination tournament in Chicago. <mask> began to pile up a points margin in the second round when he scored with a left to Scozza's jaw. In the semi-final round of the NBA tournament on February 18, 1932, before a crowd of 23,000, Billy Jones fell to <mask> in a ten-round points decision. Many in the large crowd were there to see Jack Dempsey fight Kingfish Levinsky in a preliminary exhibition. <mask>'s win stunned many ringside as Jones was favored to reach the final bout and take the championship.An enthralled audience watched him down his opponent twice in the second round, once for a count of nine, and once for a count of two. He downed Jones again in the fourth for a long count of nine. <mask> was only down briefly in the fifth. Though his opponent finished strong in the final rounds, <mask> had amassed too large a points margin and won the decision. Taking the NBA World Light Heavyweight title
<mask> took the NBA Light Heavyweight title in a shocking upset against fellow Southpaw Dave Maier in a close decision on March 18, 1932, in Chicago. The match was the deciding round in the NBA Light Heavyweight championship elimination tournament. <mask>, who had previously lost to Maier, was a 100-1 underdog in the early betting.Outpunching and outboxing his opponent, <mask> fought back ferociously any time he was cornered. He scored well in the fourth with lefts to the head and jaw, knocking Maier sagging into a corner, and turning the tide of contest. <mask> won a fifth-round technical knockout against Red Fitzsimmons, of Wichita in Colorado Springs on July 22, 1932. <mask> dropped a ten-round points decision to Ham Jenkins on July 29, 1932, in Denver. As both boxers were under the Light Heavyweight Limit, the match was not for the title. Jenkins may have won the infighting by a shade, and finished strong in the closing rounds. Joe Knight defeated <mask> in Charleston, South Carolina on October 17, 1932, in a decisive ten-round decision, though no title was on the line.Knight charged into his opponent from the opening bell, and <mask> failed to take a round. On October 28, 1932, <mask> lost a furious ten round points decision to Adolph Heuser at the Arena in Boston. Uncharacteristically, <mask> was down five time in the first round. Fighting fatigue, he went the full ten but lost ground badly in the closing rounds. Losing the NBA Light Heavyweight title
<mask> was stripped of his title on December 17, 1932, for failing to defend it within eight months. He lost to Al Gainer on May 15, 1933, in a ten-round points decision, the feature bout at the Arena in New Haven. <mask> appeared to take the second through fifth, while the remaining rounds fell to Gainer by a considerable margin.<mask> was down four times in the bout. He would lose again to Gainer on April 20, 1936, in an eighth-round technical knockout in Pittsburgh. The referee halted the bout between the eighth and ninth rounds due to cuts on Nichol's forehead and over his right eye. <mask> had been down for a nine count from a left hook to the jaw in the seventh. Though Gainer was a formidable opponent, <mask> seemed unwilling to take the lead in the bout, and clinched frequently in defense. On June 12, 1933, <mask> faced Frankie O'Brien in a ten-round points decision in Hartford. The going was slow in the first seven rounds from <mask> careful defense, though the pace roused jeers of derision from the crowd.<mask> was credited with five rounds, and O'Brien three. <mask> clinched the decision in the final three rounds with vicious left hooks to the head and body of his opponent. He lost to Sammy Slaughter on July 6, 1933, in a ten-round points decision in Chicago. Slaughter was down five times in the first round. Three of Slaughter's knockdowns were from lefts for counts of nine. <mask> may have lost the decision for fading in the final rounds, and not appearing to take the lead in the fighting. Nichol's defensive posture allowed Slaughter to scored frequently with straight lefts to the head and rights to the body.On July 17, 1933, <mask> lost to Norman Conrad in a ten-round points decision in Bedford, New Hampshire. He defeated Martin Levandowski on August 10, 1933, in a seventh-round technical knockout. He drew with Harry English, an accomplished contender for the Colored Light Heavyweight Title, on December 18, 1933. The Toledo Blade gave seven rounds to <mask>, and only two to his opponent. Before a crowd of 23,000 on February 5, 1934, <mask> defeated <mask> in a five-round semi-final bout at Miami's Madison Square Garden. Many in the crowd had come to see Joe Knight fight Max Rosenbloom to a draw in the title bout. On September 16, 1935, using a five-pound weight advantage, <mask> outscored fringe middleweight contender Tony Tozzo in a six-round points decision in Buffalo.Though stripped of the title, <mask> fought on, finding a number of quality opponents. Allen Matthews fell to <mask> on July 8, 1936, before 10,000 fans in a ten-round points decision in Chicago. Matthews skillfully landed a blow over <mask> left eye in the opening round, but may have ultimately had difficulty adjusting to his opponent's Southpaw style. Matthews was down for a no count from a blow to the face in the fifth. In a strong finish, <mask> floored Matthews with a left to the jaw for a count of nine in the ninth. Before a sizable crowd of 10,000, <mask> lost a non-title ten-round decision against John Henry Lewis, reigning Light Heavyweight Champion, at Municipal Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri on August 12, 1936. <mask> impressively staggered the champion in the fifth with a crushing left, but Lewis piled up points in all the other rounds, and had <mask> hanging on groggily in the eighth and ninth.<mask> had drawn with Lewis on April 7, 1936, at Broadway Auditorium in Buffalo. He used a hard left effectively throughout the bout, often posing it near Lewis's face. Life away from the ring
He married national speed skating champion, Kit Klein in 1933 in Ripley, New York, but the marriage was brief and quickly annulled. He was married to Bertie Horn during his boxing career, and throughout his retirement from the ring. Several sources report <mask> died on September 27, 1986, in Sandusky, Ohio. In 1997, he was in the first class inducted into Buffalo, New York's Ring 44 Boxing Hall of Fame. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213879137/john-george-nichols

Primary boxing achievements

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References

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1907 births
1986 deaths
Sportspeople from Sandusky, Ohio
American male boxers
World boxing champions
World light-heavyweight boxing champions
Light-heavyweight boxers

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<mask>. (born May 6, 1931), nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid" and "Buck", is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He spent almost all of his 22-season Major League Baseball (MLB) career playing for the New York/San Francisco Giants (1951–1952, 1954–1972) before finishing his career with the New York Mets (1972–1973). Regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. <mask> joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League in 1948, playing with them until the Giants signed him once he graduated from high school in 1950. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in his MLB debut year of 1951, spent two years in the United States Army during the Korean War, and won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1954 after leading the league in batting with a .345 batting average. His over-the-shoulder catch of a Vic Wertz fly ball in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series is one of the most famous baseball plays of all time. The Giants swept the Cleveland Indians, the lone World Series triumph of <mask>'s career.<mask> led the NL with 51 home runs (HR) in 1955. In 1956, he stole 40 bases, leading the NL for the first of four straight years. He won his first of 12 Gold Glove Awards in 1957, a record for outfielders. The Giants moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, and Mays contended for the batting title until the final day of 1958, hitting a career-high .347. He batted over .300 for the next two seasons, leading the league in hits in 1960. After leading the NL with 129 runs scored in 1961, <mask> led the NL in home runs in 1962 as the Giants won the NL pennant and faced the New York Yankees in the World Series, which the Giants lost in seven games. By 1963, Mays was making over $100,000 a year, setting a record at the time with a $105,000 contract for that season.In 1964, his manager Alvin Dark named him the Giants' captain. He led the NL with 47 home runs that year. He hit 52 the following year, leading the NL and winning his second MVP award. 1966 was the last of 10 seasons in which he had over 100 runs batted in (RBI). In 1969, he hit the 600th home run of his career; he got his 3,000th hit in 1970. Traded to the Mets in 1972, Mays spent the rest of that season and 1973 with them before retiring. He served as a coach for the Mets until 1979 and later rejoined the Giants as a special assistant to the president and general manager.<mask> finished his career batting .302 with 660 home runs, the sixth-most of all time, and 1,903 runs batted in. He holds MLB records for most putouts (7,095) and the most extra-inning home runs (22). <mask> was selected for 24 All-Star Games, tied for the second-most of all time. He was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999 and ranked second on The Sporting Newss "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", behind only Babe Ruth. President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Early life

<mask> <mask>, Jr., was born on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, a primarily black company town near Fairfield. His father, <mask>, was a talented baseball player with the black team at the local iron plant.Annie Satterwhite, his mother, was a gifted high school basketball and track star. His parents never married but separated when Mays was three. His father raised him and two girls, Sarah and Ernestine. <mask> worked as a railway porter and later at the steel mills in Westfield. He exposed <mask> to baseball at an early age, playing catch with him at five and allowing him to sit on the bench with his Birmingham Industrial League team at ten. His favorite baseball player growing up was Joe DiMaggio; other favorites were Ted Williams and Stan Musial. Mays played several sports at Fairfield Industrial High School.On the basketball team, he led players at all-black high schools in Jefferson County in scoring. Mays played quarterback, fullback and punter for the football team. Though he turned 18 in 1949, Mays did not graduate from Fairfield until 1950, which journalist Allen Barra calls "a minor mystery in <mask>'s life". Negro and minor leagues
Mays's professional baseball career began in 1948 when he played briefly during the summer with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos, a Negro minor league team. Later that year, Mays joined the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League, managed by Piper Davis, a teammate of Mays's father on the industrial team. When Fairfield Industrial principal E. J. Oliver threatened to suspend Mays for playing professional ball, Davis and Mays's father worked out an agreement. Mays would only play home games for the Black Barons.In return, he could still play high school football. Mays helped Birmingham advance to the 1948 Negro World Series, which they lost 4–1 to the Homestead Grays. He hit .262 for the season and stood out because of his excellent fielding and base running. Several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams were interested in signing Mays, but they had to wait until he graduated from high school to offer him a contract. The Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Dodgers both scouted him, but New York Giants scout Eddie Montague was the one who signed him to a $4,000 contract. Mays spent the rest of 1950 with the Class B Trenton Giants of the Interstate League, batting .353. Promoted to the Class AAA Minneapolis Millers of the American Association in 1951, he batted .477 in 35 games.Playing excellent defense, Mays was called up by the Giants on May 24, 1951. Initially, Mays was reluctant to accept the promotion because he did not believe he was ready to face major league pitchers. A stunned Giants' manager Leo Durocher called Mays directly and said, "Quit costing the ball club money with long-distance phone calls and join the team." Major leagues

Rookie of the Year (1951)

The Giants hoped Mays would help them defensively in center field, as well as offensively. The Polo Grounds featured an unusual horseshoe shape, with relatively short left field () and right field () lines but the deepest center field in baseball (). Mays appeared in his first major league game on May 25 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Shibe Park, batting third. He had no hits in his first 12 at bats in the major leagues, but in his 13th on May 28, he hit a home run off Warren Spahn over the left-field roof of the Polo Grounds.Mays went hitless in his next 12 at-bats, and Durocher dropped him to eighth in the batting order on June 2, suggesting that Mays stop trying to pull the ball and just make contact. Mays responded with four hits over his next two games on June 2 and 3. By the end of the month, he had pushed his batting average to over .300. He would bat close to .290 for the rest of the season. Although his .274 average, 68 RBI and 20 home runs (in 121 games) would rank among the lowest totals of his career, he still won the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award. On August 11, the Giants found themselves  games back of the Dodgers in the NL pennant race; Brooklyn manager Charlie Dressen triumphantly predicted, "The Giants is dead." However, the Giants went 40–18 in the season's final 58 games, winning their last seven of the year to finish the regular season tied with the Dodgers.During the pennant race, <mask>'s fielding and strong throwing arm were instrumental in several important Giants' victories. Mays was in the on-deck circle on October 3 when Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer to win the three-game NL tie-breaker series 2–1. The Giants met the New York Yankees and <mask>'s boyhood favorite DiMaggio in the 1951 World Series, which the Giants lost in six games. In Game 1, Mays, Hank Thompson, and Monte Irvin comprised the first all-African-American outfield in major league history. Mays hit poorly while the Giants lost the series 4–2. In Game 5 he hit a consequential fly ball, which DiMaggio and Yankee rookie Mickey Mantle pursued. As DiMaggio called Mantle off, the younger Yankee got his cleat stuck in an open drainpipe, suffering a knee injury that would affect him the rest of his career.U.S. Army (1952–1953)
Soon after the 1951 season ended, Mays learned the United States Army had drafted him to serve in the Korean War. Before he left to join the Army, Mays played the first few weeks of the 1952 season with the Giants. He batted .236 with four home runs in 34 games. He surprised sportswriters like Red Smith when he drew cheers from fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants' archrivals, in his last game before reporting. After his induction into the Army on May 29, Mays reported to Fort Eustis in Virginia, where he spent much of his time playing on military baseball teams with other major leaguers. It was at Fort Eustis that Mays learned the basket catch from fellow Fort Eustis outfielder Jerry Salvador. Mays missed about 266 games because of his military service.Discharged on March 1, 1954, he reported to Giants' spring training camp the following day. MVP, World Series champion (1954–1955)

<mask> began the 1954 season on Opening Day with a home run of over  against Carl Erskine. After he batted .250 in his first 20 games, Durocher moved him from third to fifth in the batting order and again encouraged him to stop attempting to pull the ball and try to get hits to right field. Mays changed his batting stance and stood straighter at the plate, keeping his feet closer together. He credited these adjustments with improving his batting average, as he batted .450 with 25 RBI in his next 20 games. On June 25, he hit an inside-the-park home run in a 6–2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. <mask> was selected for the NL All-Star team; he would be part of 24 straight NL All-Star teams over 20 seasons.Mays became the first player in history to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star Game. He had 36 home runs through July 28. Around that time, Durocher asked him to stop trying to hit them, explaining the team wanted him to reach base more often. Mays hit only five home runs after July 28 but upped his batting average from .326 to .345 to win the team's first batting title since Bill Terry's in 1930. Hitting 41 home runs, Mays won the NL Most Valuable Player Award and the Hickok Belt. The Giants won the NL pennant and the 1954 World Series, sweeping the Cleveland Indians in four games. The 1954 series is perhaps best remembered for "The Catch", an over-the-shoulder running grab by Mays of a long drive off the bat of Vic Wertz about  from home plate at the Polo Grounds during the eighth inning of Game 1.The catch prevented two Indians' runners from scoring, preserving a tie game. "The Catch transcended baseball" Barra wrote, and Larry Schwartz of ESPN said of all the catches that Mays made, "it is regarded as his greatest". Mays did not even look at the ball for the last twenty feet as he ran, saying later he realized he had to keep running if he was going to get the ball. The Giants won the game in the 10th inning on a three-run home run by Dusty Rhodes, with <mask> scoring the winning run. Mays added base stealing to his talents, upping his total from eight in 1954 to 24 in 1955. In the middle of May, Durocher asked him to try for more home runs. Mays led the league with 51 but finished fourth in NL MVP voting.Leading the league with a .659 slugging percentage, Mays batted .319 as the Giants finished in third. During the last game of the season, Durocher, who had supported Mays since his career had begun, told him he would not be returning as the Giants manager. When Mays responded, "But Mr. Leo, it's going to be different with you gone. You won't be here to help me," Durocher told his star, "<mask>s doesn't need help from anyone." New manager (1956–1957)

In 1956, Mays struggled at first to get along with new manager Bill Rigney, who publicly criticized him. The center fielder grew particularly annoyed after Rigney fined him $100 for not running to first base on a pop fly that was caught by the catcher. He hit 36 homers and stole 40 bases, becoming only the second player to join the 30–30 club.Though his RBI (84) and batting average (.296) were his lowest for nearly a decade, Barra observed that "<mask> was still the best all-around player in the National League." The relationship between Mays and Rigney improved in 1957. Rigney stopped giving Mays as much direction, trusting his star player's ability and instinct. In his 2010 authorized biography of Mays, James S. Hirsch wrote Mays had "one of his most exhilarating excursions" on April 21. In the game against the Phillies, Mays reached second base on an error, stole third, and scored the winning run on a Hank Sauer single, all on plays close enough that he had to slide to make each one. He stole home in a 4–3 loss to the Cubs on May 21. 1957 was the first season the Gold Glove Awards were presented.<mask> won the first of 12 consecutive Gold Gloves for his play in center field. He finished in the NL's top-five in a variety of offensive categories: runs scored (112, third) batting average (.333, second), and home runs (35, fourth). In 1957, Mays became the fourth player in major league history to join the 20–20–20 club (doubles, triples, homers). He stole 38 bases that year, making him the second 20–20–20 club member (after Frank Schulte in 1911) to steal at least 20 bases. This gave him his second straight 30-30 club season. Dwindling attendance and the desire for a new ballpark prompted the Giants to move to San Francisco following the 1957 season. In the final Giants' home game at the Polo Grounds on September 29, 1957, fans gave Mays a standing ovation in the middle of his final at bat, after Pirates' pitcher Bob Friend had already thrown a pitch to him."I do not recall hearing another ovation given a man after the pitcher has started to work on him," Mays biographer Arnold Hano wrote. Move to San Francisco (1958–1961)
In 1958, Rigney wanted Mays to challenge Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season. Consequently, Rigney did not play Mays much in spring training hoping to use his best hitter every day of the regular season. As he had in 1954, Mays vied for the NL batting title until the final game of the season. Moved to the leadoff slot the last day to increase his at-bats, Mays collected three hits in the game to finish with a career-high .347, but Philadelphia's Richie Ashburn batted .350. Mays shared the inaugural NL Player of the Month award with Stan Musial in May, batting .405 with 12 home runs and 29 RBI; he won a second award in September (.434, 4 home runs, 18 RBIs). He played in all but two games, hitting only 29 home runs.Horace Stoneham, the Giants' owner, made Mays the highest-paid player in baseball with a $75,000 contract for 1959. Mays had his first serious injury in 1959, a collision with Sammy White in spring training that resulted in 35 stitches in his leg, but he was ready by the start of the season. Against the Reds in August, Mays broke a finger but kept it a secret to prevent opposing pitchers from targeting it. In September 1959, the Giants led the NL pennant race by two games with only eight games to play, but a sweep by the Dodgers began a stretch of six losses in those final games, dooming them to a third-place finish. Mays had hits in three out of 10 at-bats in the Dodger series but some San Francisco fans still booed him. In 1959, Mays batted .313 with 34 home runs and 113 RBIs, leading the league in stolen bases for the fourth year in a row. After spending their first two years in San Francisco at Seals Stadium, the Giants moved into the new Candlestick Park in 1960.Initially, the stadium was expected to be conducive to home runs, but unpredictable winds affected Mays's power, and he hit only 12 at home in 1960. He found the stadium tricky to field but figured out how to play it as the season progressed. When a fly ball was hit, he would count to five before giving pursuit, enabling him to judge the wind's effect. He hit two home runs on June 24 and stole home in a 5–3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. On September 15, he tied an NL record with three triples in an 11-inning, 8–6 win over the Phillies. "I don't like to talk about 1960," Mays said after the final game of a season in which the Giants, pre-season favorites for the pennant, finished fifth out of eight NL teams. For the second time in three years, he only hit 29 home runs, but he led the NL with 190 hits and drove in 103 runs, batting .319 and stealing 25 bases.Alvin Dark was hired to manage the Giants before the start of the 1961 season, and the improving Giants finished in third place. Mays had one of his best games on April 30, 1961, hitting four home runs and driving in eight runs against the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium. According to Mays, he had been unsure if he would even play because of food poisoning. Each of his home runs traveled over  While Mantle and Roger Maris pursued Babe Ruth's single-season home run record in the AL, Mays and Orlando Cepeda battled for the home run lead in the NL. Mays trailed Cepeda by two home runs at the end of August (34 as opposed to 36), but Cepeda outhit him 10–6 in September to finish with 46, while Mays finished with 40. Mays led the league with 129 runs scored and batted .308 with 123 RBI. Pennant race (1962)
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 level since coming to San Francisco, Mays endured booing from the San Francisco fans during his first four seasons in California.Barra speculates this may have been because San Francisco fans were comparing Mays unfavorably with Joe DiMaggio, the most famous center fielder ever to come from San Francisco. Hal Wood mentioned the DiMaggio theory, as well as two other explanations: 1) the fans had heard so many wonderful things about Mays's play in New York that they expected him to be a better player than he actually was, and 2) Mays tended to keep to himself. Mays said in 1959 that he did not mind the booing, but he admitted in a 1961 article that the catcalls were bothering him. Whatever the reason, the boos, which had begun to subside after Mays's four-home run game in 1961, grew even quieter in 1962, as the Giants enjoyed their best season since moving to San Francisco. Mays led the team in eight offensive categories in 1962: runs (130), doubles (36), home runs (49), RBI (141), stolen bases (18), walks (78), on-base percentage (.384), and slugging percentage (.613). He finished second in NL MVP voting to Maury Wills, who had broken Ty Cobb's record for stolen bases in a season. On September 30, Mays hit a game-winning home run in the Giants' final regularly scheduled game of the year, forcing the team into a tie for first place with the Los Angeles Dodgers.The Giants faced the Dodgers in a three-game playoff series. With the Giants trailing 4–2 in the top of the ninth inning of Game 3, <mask> hit an RBI single, eventually scoring as the Giants took a 6–4 lead. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Lee Walls hit a fly ball to center field, which Mays caught for the final out as the Giants advanced to the World Series against the Yankees. In Game 1 of the World Series, a 6–2 loss to New York, <mask> recorded three hits. He would bat merely .250 in the series overall. The Series went all the way to a Game 7, which the Yankees led 1–0 in the bottom of the ninth. Matty Alou led off the inning with a bunt single but was still at first two outs later when Mays came up with the Giants one out from elimination.Batting against Ralph Terry, he hit a ball into the right-field corner that might have been deep enough to score Alou, but Giants third base coach Whitey Lockman opted to hold Alou at third. The next batter, McCovey, hit a line drive that was caught by Bobby Richardson, and the Yankees won the deciding game 1–0. It was <mask>'s last World Series appearance as a Giant. Mays reveled in the fact that he had finally won the support of San Francisco fans; "It only took them five years," he later said. Record-setting contract (1963–1964)
Before the 1963 season, Mays signed a contract worth a record-setting $105,000 per season (). On July 2, when Spahn and Juan Marichal each threw 15 scoreless innings, Mays hit a 16th-inning home run off Spahn, giving the Giants a 1–0 victory. He considered the home run one of his most important, along with his first and the four-home-run game.In August, he won his third NL Player of the Month Award after batting .387 with eight home runs and 27 RBI. Mays finished the 1963 season batting .314 with 38 home runs and 103 RBI, stealing only eight bases, his fewest since 1954. Normally the third batter in the lineup, Mays was moved to fourth in 1964 before returning to third in subsequent years. On May 21, Dark named Mays the Giants' captain, making Mays the first African-American captain of an MLB team. "You deserve it," Dark told Mays. "You should have had it long before this." Against the Phillies on September 4, Mays made what Hirsch called "one of the most acrobatic catches of his career".Ruben Amaro, Sr., hit a ball to the scoreboard at Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium. <mask>, who had been playing closer to home plate than normal, ran at top speed after the ball. He caught it in midair and had to kick his legs forward to keep his head from hitting the ballpark's fence, but he held on to the ball. While he batted under .300 (.296) for the first time since 1956, he led the NL with 47 home runs and ranked second with 121 runs scored and 111 RBI. MVP again (1965–1966)
A torn shoulder muscle sustained in a 1965 game against the Atlanta Braves impaired <mask>'s ability to throw. He kept the injury a secret from opposing players, making two or three practice throws before games to discourage them from running on him. On August 22, <mask> acted as a peacemaker during a 14-minute brawl between the Giants and Dodgers after Marichal had bloodied Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with a bat.<mask> grabbed Roseboro by the waist and helped him off the field, then tackled Lou Johnson to keep him from attacking an umpire. Johnson kicked him in the head and nearly knocked him out. After the brawl, <mask> hit a game-winning three-run home run against Sandy Koufax, but he did not finish the game, feeling dizzy after the home run. <mask> won his fourth and final NL Player of the Month award in August 1965 (.363, 17 home runs, 29 RBI). On September 13, 1965, he hit his 500th career home run off Don Nottebart. Warren Spahn, off whom Mays hit his first career home run, was now his teammate. After the home run, Spahn asked him, "Was it anything like the same feeling?"Mays replied, "It was exactly the same feeling. Same pitch, too." The next night, Mays hit one that he considered his most dramatic. With the Giants trailing the Houston Astros by two runs with two outs in the ninth, Mays swung and missed at Claude Raymond's first two pitches, took three balls to load the count, and fouled off three pitches before homering on the ninth pitch. The Giants won 6–5 in 10 innings. <mask> won his second MVP award in 1965 behind a career-high 52 home runs, in what Barra said "may very well have [been] his best year". He batted .317, leading the NL in on-base percentage (.400) and slugging percentage (.645).The span of 11 years between his MVP awards was the longest gap of any major leaguer who attained the distinction more than once, as were the 10 years between his 50 home run seasons. He scored 118 runs, the 12th year in a row he had scored at least 100 runs in a season. <mask> tied Mel Ott's NL record of 511 home runs on April 24, 1966, against the Astros. After that, he went for nine days without a home run. "I started thinking home run every time I got up," Mays explained the slump. He finally set the record May 4. Despite nursing an injured thigh muscle on September 7, Mays reached base in the 11th inning of a game against the Dodgers with two outs, then attempted to score from first base on a Frank Johnson single.On a close play, umpire Tony Venzon initially ruled him out, then changed the call when he saw Roseboro had dropped the ball after Mays collided with him. San Francisco won 3–2. <mask> finished third in the NL MVP voting, the ninth and final time he finished in the top five in the voting for the award. He batted .288 with 99 runs scored, 37 home runs, and 103 RBI; by season's end, only Babe Ruth had hit more home runs (714 to 542). Player of the Decade (1967–1970)
Mays had 13 home runs and 44 RBI through his first 75 games of 1967 but then went into a slump. On June 7, Gary Nolan of the Cincinnati Reds struck him out four times; this was the first time in his career this had happened, though the Giants still won the game 4–3. Afflicted by a fever on July 14, Mays left that day's game after the sixth inning because of fatigue and spent five days in a hospital."After I got back into the lineup, I never felt strong again for the rest of the season," he recalled. In 141 games, Mays hit .263 with 83 runs scored, 128 hits, and 22 home runs. He had only 70 RBI for the year, the first time since 1958 he had failed to reach 100. Before a game in Houston on May 6, 1968, Astros owner Roy Hofheinz presented Mays with a 569-pound birthday cake for his 37th birthday—the pounds represented every home run Mays had hit in his career. After sharing some of it with his teammates, Mays sent the rest to the Texas Children's Hospital. He played 148 games and upped his batting average to .289, accumulating 84 runs scored, 144 hits, 23 home runs, and 79 RBI. In 1969, new Giants' manager Clyde King moved Mays to the leadoff position in the batting lineup because Mays was hitting fewer home runs.Mays privately chafed at the move, later comparing it to "O. J. Simpson blocking for the fullback". He injured his knee in a collision with catcher Randy Hundley on July 29, forcing him to miss several games. On September 22, he hit his 600th home run, saying later, "Winning the game was more important to me than any individual achievements." In 117 games, he batted .283 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI. The Sporting News named Mays the 1960s "Player of the Decade" in January 1970. In an April game, Mays collided with Bobby Bonds while reaching his glove over the wall but made a catch to rob Bobby Tolan of a home run. Mays picked up his 3,000th hit against the Montreal Expos on July 18."I don't feel excitement about this now," he told reporters afterwards. "The main thing I wanted to do was help Gaylord Perry win a game." In 139 games, Mays batted .291 with 94 runs scored, 28 home runs, and 83 RBI. He scheduled his off days that season to avoid facing strikeout pitchers such as Bob Gibson or Tom Seaver. Later years with the Giants (1971–1972)
Though center field remained his primary position in 1971, Mays played 48 games at first base. He got off to a fast start in 1971, the year he turned 40. Against the Mets on May 31, he hit a game-tying eighth-inning home run, saved multiple runs with his defense at first base, and performed a strategic base-running maneuver with one out in the 11th inning, running slowly from second to third base to draw a throw from Tim Foli and allow Al Gallagher to reach first safely.Evading Foli's tag on the return throw to third, Mays scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly. He had 15 home runs and a .290 average at the All-Star break but faded down the stretch, only hitting three home runs and batting .241 for the rest of the year. One reason he hit so few home runs was that Mays walked 112 times, 30 more times than he had at any point in his career. This was partly because <mask>, who often batted behind Mays in the lineup, missed several games with injuries, causing pitchers to pitch carefully to Mays so they could concentrate on getting less-skilled hitters out. Subsequently, Mays led the league in on-base percentage (.425) for only the second time, though his 123 strikeouts were a career-high. He batted .271 and stole 23 bases. The Giants won the NL West in 1971, returning Mays to the playoffs for the first time since 1962.In the NL Championship Series (NLCS) against the Pirates, <mask> had a home run and three RBI in the first two games. In Game 3, <mask> attempted an unsuccessful sacrifice bunt in a 1–1 tie in the sixth with no outs and Tito Fuentes on second base, a move that surprised reporters covering the game. The Giants lost 2–1. "I was thinking of the best way to get the run in," Mays explained the bunt, pointing out that McCovey and Bonds were due up next. The Giants lost the series in four games. After the season, <mask> was honored as the winner of the inaugural Roberto Clemente Award, known at that time as the Commissioner's Award. <mask> got off to a tortuous start to the 1972 season, batting .184 through his first 19 games.Before the season began, he had asked Stoneham for a 10-year contract with the Giants organization, intending to serve in an off-the-field capacity with them once his playing career was over. The Giants organization was having financial troubles, and Mays had to settle for a two-year, $330,000 contract. Mays quibbled with manager Charlie Fox, leaving the stadium before the start of a doubleheader on April 30 without telling him. On May 5, Mays was traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Charlie Williams and an undisclosed amount rumored to be $100,000. The Mets agreed to keep his salary at $165,000 a year for 1972 and 1973, promising to pay Mays $50,000 a year for 10 years after he retired. Return to New York (1972–1973)

Mays had remained popular in New York, and owner Joan Payson had long wanted to bring him back to his major league roots. In his Mets debut against the Giants on May 14, Mays put New York ahead to stay with a fifth-inning home run, receiving ecstatic applause from the fans at Shea Stadium.Mays appeared in 88 games for the Mets in 1972, batting .250 in 244 at bats with eight home runs. In 1973, Mays showed up a day late to spring training, then left in the middle of it without notifying manager Yogi Berra beforehand. He was fined $1,000 upon returning; a sportswriter joked half the fine was for leaving, half was for returning. Things did not improve as the season began; Mays spent time on the disabled list early in the year and left the park before a game when he found out Berra had not put his name in the starting lineup. His speed and powerful arm in the outfield, assets throughout his career, were diminished in 1973, and he only made the All-Star team because of a special intervention by NL President Chub Feeney. However, the Mets won the NL East. On August 17, 1973, <mask> hit his final (660th) home run against the Reds' Don Gullett.Having considered retirement all year, Mays finally told the Mets officially on September 9 that 1973 would be his last season. He made the announcement to the public on September 20. "I thought I'd be crying by now," he told reporters and Mets' executives at a press conference that day, "but I see so many people here who are my friends, I can't...Baseball and me, we had what you might call a love affair." Five days later, the Mets honored him on Willie Mays Night, proclaimed by New York City mayor John Lindsay, where he thanked the New York fans and said goodbye to baseball. In 66 games, Mays batted a career-low .211 with six home runs. Against the Reds in the NLCS, Mays helped restore order in Game 3 after Mets fans began throwing trash at Pete Rose following a brawl Rose had started. Game 5 was the only one Mays played; he had a pinch-hit RBI single as the Mets won 7–2, clinching a trip to the 1973 World Series against the Oakland Athletics.A shoulder injury to Rusty Staub prompted the Mets to shift Don Hahn to right field and start Mays in center at the start of the Series. He stumbled four times in the first two games, including a fielding error in Game 2 that allowed the Athletics to tie the game and force extra innings. <mask>'s last hit came later in the same game, an RBI single against Rollie Fingers that snapped a 7–7 tie in the 12th inning of a 10–7 victory. His final at-bat came in Game 3, where he pinch-hit for Tug McGraw and grounded into a force play. The Mets lost the series in seven games. All-Star games
<mask>'s 24 appearances on an All-Star Game roster are tied with Musial for second all-time, behind only Hank Aaron's 25. He "strove for All-Star glory" according to Hirsch, taking the game seriously in his desire to support his NL teammates.In the first All-Star Game of 1959, <mask> hit a game-winning triple against Whitey Ford; Bob Stevens of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "Harvey Kuenn gave it honest pursuit, but the only center fielder in baseball who could have caught it hit it." He scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning of the first All-Star Game of 1961 on a Clemente single in a 5–4 win for the NL. At Cleveland Stadium in the 1963 All-Star Game, he made the finest catch, snagging his foot under a wire fence in center field as he grasped a long fly ball hit by Joe Pepitone that might have given the AL the lead. The NL won 5–3, and Mays was named the All-Star Game MVP. With a leadoff home run against Milt Pappas in the 1965 All-Star Game, Mays set a record for most hits in his All-Star Games (21). <mask> led off the 1968 All-Star Game with a single, moved to second on an error, advanced to third base on a wild pitch, and scored the only run of the game when McCovey hit into a double play; for his contributions, <mask> won the All-Star Game MVP Award for the second time. He individually holds the records for most at bats (75), hits (23), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (six) by an All-Star; additionally, he is tied with Musial for the most extra-base hits (eight) and total bases (40), and he is tied with Brooks Robinson for the most triples (three) in All-Star Game history.In appreciation of his All-Star records, Ted Williams said, "They invented the All-Star Game for <mask>s." Barnstorming
During the first part of his career, Mays often participated in barnstorming tours after his regular season with the Giants ended. Teams of star players would travel from city to city playing exhibition games for local fans. Following his rookie year, Mays went on a barnstorming tour with an All-Star team assembled by Campanella, playing in Negro League stadiums around the southern United States. From 1955 through 1958, Mays led <mask>'s All-Stars, a team composed of such stars as Irvin, Thompson, Aaron, Frank Robinson, Junior Gilliam, Brooks Lawrence, Sam Jones, and Joe Black. The team travelled around the southern United States the first two years, attaining crowds of about 5,000 in 1955 but drawing less than

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 1,000 in 1956, partly because of the advent of television. In 1957, the team went to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, drawing 117,766 fans in 15 games, 14 of which were won by Mays's team.They played 20 games in Mexico in 1958, but Mays did not lead a team in 1959; Stoneham wanted him to rest because he was suffering from a broken finger. In 1960, Mays also did not barnstorm, but he and the Giants did go to Tokyo, playing an exhibition series of 16 games against the Yomiuri Giants. Though teams of black All-Stars assembled those two seasons, they drew fewer fans and opted not to assemble in 1961, when Mays again decided not to barnstorm. The tradition soon died out, as the expansion of the major leagues, the increased televising of major league games, and the emergence of professional football had siphoned interest away from the offseason exhibition games. Player profile
The batting stance Mays employed showed the influence of one of his childhood favorites, DiMaggio. Like his hero, Mays would stand with his legs spread apart, placing the same amount of weight on both while holding the bat high. His right thumb would stick out in the air as he waited for pitches, but he wrapped it around the bat as he swung.Mays believed this late motion added power when he swung. Mays channelled his energies into the swing by abstaining from extra motion and opening his hips. "If there was a machine to measure each swing of a bat," Branch Rickey suggested, "it would be proven that Mays swings with more power and bat speed, pitch for pitch, than any other player." His focus extended to his antics, or lack thereof, at the plate; Mays did not rub dirt on his hands or stroll around the batter's box like some hitters did. Naturally more of a pull hitter, Mays adjusted his style in 1954 to hit more to right and center field in a quest for a higher batting average at his manager's request, but the change was not permanent. When the Giants moved to Candlestick Park, Mays found that pulling the ball worked better at home but hitting to right and center worked better on the road; he tried to adjust his style depending on where he was playing. Defensively, Mays was one of the best outfielders of all time, as evidenced by his record 12 Gold Gloves as an outfielder.His signature play was his "basket catch," the technique that was on display when he made "The Catch" in the 1954 World Series. Holding his glove around his belly, he would keep his palm turned up, enabling the ball to fall right into his glove. Sportswriters have argued about whether the technique made him a better fielder or just made him more exciting to watch, but the basket catch did not prevent Mays from setting a record with 7,095 outfield putouts. Koppett observes, "His range was limitless, and his arm so strong that he could make effective throws from the most unlikely locations and from the most unlikely body positions." That range allowed him to play a shallow center and prevent shallow singles, while still being able to get back and not let extra-base hits get over his head. Mays's flashy style of play stemmed partly from his days in the Negro leagues. "We were all entertainers," he said, "and my job was to give the fans something to talk about each game."He wore his cap one size larger than necessary so that it would fly off when he was running the bases or making fielding plays. Sometimes he would deliberately slip to the ground for catches to make them look tougher than they really were. Though he was a powerful hitter, he had a knack for stealing bases. He ran the bases daringly, becoming the only modern player to score from first base on a single to left field, and another time scoring from first base on a McCovey bunt (without an error). Assessment and legacy

On January 23, 1979, <mask> was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He garnered 409 of the 432 ballots cast (94.68%). Referring to the other 23 voters, the acerbic New York Daily News columnist Dick Young wrote, "If Jesus Christ were to show up with his old baseball glove, some guys wouldn't vote for him.He dropped the cross three times, didn't he?" In his induction speech, Mays said, "What can I say? This country is made up of a great many things. You can grow up to be what you want. I chose baseball, and I loved every minute of it. I give you one word—love. It means dedication.You have to sacrifice many things to play baseball. I sacrificed a bad marriage and I sacrificed a good marriage. But I'm here today because baseball is my number one love." In 1999, Mays placed second on The Sporting Newss "List of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players", trailing only Babe Ruth. Later that year, fans elected him to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Fellow players and coaches recognized his talent. "To me, <mask>s is the greatest who ever played," Roberto Clemente said.<mask> learned the hard way how good Mays's arm was when the center fielder threw him out in a game in 1965. "I couldn't believe Mays could throw that far. I figured there had to be a relay. Then I found out there wasn't. He's too good for this world." "If somebody came up and hit .450, stole 100 bases and performed a miracle in the field every day, I’d still look you in the eye and say <mask> was better," Durocher said. "All I can say is that he is the greatest player I ever saw, bar none," was Rigney's assessment.When Mays was the only player elected to the Hall of Fame in 1979, Duke Snider, who finished second in voting that year, said, "<mask> really more or less deserves to be in by himself." Don Zimmer remarked, "In the National League in the 1950s, there were two opposing players who stood out over all the others—Stan Musial and <mask>s. ... I’ve always said that <mask>s was the best player I ever saw. ... [H]e could have been an All-Star at any position." Teammate Felipe Alou said, "[Mays] is number one, without a doubt. … [A]nyone who played with him or against him would agree that he is the best." Al Rosen remembered "...you had the feeling you were playing against someone who was going to be the greatest of all time."Throughout his career, <mask> maintained he did not specifically try to set records, but he ranks among baseball's leaders in many categories. Third in home runs with 660 when he retired, he still ranks sixth as of June 2021. His 2,062 runs scored rank seventh, and his 1,903 RBI rank 12th as of June 2021. Mays batted .302 in his career and his 3,283 hits are the 12th-most of any player as of June 2021. His 2,992 games played are the ninth-highest total of any major leaguer as of June 2021. He stole 338 bases in his career. By the end of his career, Mays had won a Gold Glove Award 12 times, a record for outfielders today (shared by Roberto Clemente).He is baseball's all-time leader in outfield putouts (7,095), and he played 2,842 games as an outfielder, a total exceeded only by Cobb (2,934) and Barry Bonds (2,874). <mask>'s 24 appearances on an All-Star Game roster are tied with Musial for second all-time, behind only Aaron's 25. He holds individually the All-Star Game records for most at bats (75), hits (23), runs scored (20), and stolen bases (six); additionally, he is tied with Musial for the most extra-base hits (eight) and total bases (40), and he is tied with Brooks Robinson for the most triples (three) in All-Star Game history. Mays's 156.2 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) ranks fifth all-time, and third among position players (trailing Barry Bonds's 162.8 and Ruth's 162.1). He led NL position players in WAR for 10 seasons, and led the league in on-base plus slugging (OPS) five times, ranking 26th all time with a .941 mark. Sabermetrician Bill James thinks Mays was the best centerfielder of all time, naming him the best in the major leagues in the 1950s and the 1960s. David Schoenfield of ESPN, James, and Barra each think he should have won the NL MVP Award at least seven times."He was one of the best fielders of all time," Schoenfield writes, noting Mays has the eighth-most fielding runs saved (a sabermetric stat) of all-time. Barra claimed in 2004, "Most modern fans would pick <mask>s as the best all-around player in the second half of the twentieth century." Sportscaster Curt Gowdy said of Mays, "<mask>s was the best player I ever saw. He did everything well." Sudden collapses plagued Mays sporadically throughout his career, which occasionally led to hospital stays. He attributed them to his style of play. "My style was always to go all out, whether I played four innings or nine.That's how I played all my life, and I think that's the reason I would suddenly collapse from exhaustion or nervous energy or whatever it was called." At the Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, former Mets teammate John Milner testified Mays kept a bottle of liquid amphetamine in his locker at Shea Stadium. Milner had never seen Mays use amphetamines, and Mays denied having taken drugs during his career. "I really didn't need anything," Mays said. "My problem was if I could stay on the field. I would go to the doctor and would say to the doctor, 'Hey, I need something to keep me going. Could you give me some sort of vitamin?'I don't know what they put in there, and I never asked him a question about anything." Hirsch wrote "It would be naïve to think Mays never took amphetamines" but admits that Mays's amphetamine use has never been proven, calling Mays "the most famous player who supposedly took amphetamines". Cultural effect
Along with Mantle (of the Yankees) and Snider (of the Dodgers), Mays was part of a triumvirate of center fielders from the New York teams of the 1950s who would be elected to the Hall of Fame. The three were often the subject of debates amongst the New York fans as to who was the best center fielder in the city. Mays was a popular figure in Harlem, New York's predominantly African-American neighborhood and the home of the Polo Grounds. Magazine photographers were fond of chronicling his participation in local stickball games with kids, which he played two to three nights a week during homestands until his first marriage in 1956. In the urban game of hitting a rubber ball with an adapted broomstick handle, Mays could hit a shot that measured "five sewers" (the distance of six consecutive New York City manhole covers, nearly .Unlike other black athletes such as Jackie Robinson, Mays tended to remain silent on race issues, refraining from public complaints about discriminatory practices that affected him. Naturally, his approach had its critics. Robinson once accused him and some of his teammates of not doing enough for the civil rights movement. Aaron wished Mays had spoken out more on racial issues. Mays believed his job was to play baseball, not talk about social issues. "I'm a ballplayer. I am not a politician or a writer or a historian.I can do best for my people by doing what I do best." Post-playing career

After Mays retired as a player, he remained in the New York Mets organization as their hitting instructor until the end of the 1979 season. Mays missed several appointments during these years and was often absent from Mets games. When Joe McDonald became the Mets' General Manager in 1975, he threatened to fire Mays for this. Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Mays's lawyer intervened, and the Mets agreed to keep him, as long as he stayed at home games for at least four innings. During his time with the Mets, Lee Mazzilli learned the basket catch from him. In October 1979, Mays took a job at the Bally's Park Place casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.While there, he served as a special assistant to the Casino's president and as a greeter. After being told by Kuhn that he could not be part of both baseball and a casino, Mays terminated his contract with the Mets, and he was banned from baseball. Kuhn was concerned about gambling infiltrating baseball, but Hirsch points out that Mays's role was merely as a greeter, he was not allowed to place bets at the casino as part of his contract, and the casino did not engage in sports betting. In 1985, less than a year after replacing Kuhn as commissioner, Peter Ueberroth decided to allow Mays to return to baseball. At a press conference with <mask> and Mantle (reinstated from a similar suspension), Ueberroth said, "I am bringing back two players who are more a part of baseball than perhaps anyone else." <mask> was named special assistant to the president and general manager of the Giants in 1986. He signed a lifetime contract with the team in 1993 and helped to muster public enthusiasm for building Pac Bell Park, which opened in 2000.Mays founded a charity, the Say Hey Foundation, which promotes youth baseball. The Giants retired Mays's number 24 in May 1972. Oracle Park, their stadium, is at 24 <mask> Mays Plaza. In front of the main entrance is a nine-foot-tall statue of Mays, who has a private box at the stadium. When the Giants dedicated a Wall of Fame to their greatest players in 2008, Mays became part of its inaugural class. Special honors, media appearances

Mays has met with United States Presidents. During Gerald Ford's administration in 1976, he was invited to the White House state dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II, whom Mays met.He was the Tee Ball Commissioner at the 2006 White House Tee Ball Initiative on July 30, 2006, during George W. Bush's presidency. On July 14, 2009, he accompanied Barack Obama to St. Louis aboard Air Force One for that year's All-Star Game. Six years later, Obama honored Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In September 2017, Major League Baseball renamed the World Series MVP Award the <mask>s World Series MVP Award. Though Mays never went to college, he has been awarded honorary degrees by Yale University, Dartmouth College, and San Francisco State University. Mays has made many appearances on film and television. He made multiple appearances as the mystery guest on the long-running game show What's My Line?Through a friendship with Tony Owen and Donna Reed, he was able to appear in three episodes of The Donna Reed Show. During the 1960s, he appeared on shows including The Dating Game and Bewitched. NBC-TV aired an hour-long documentary titled A Man Named Mays in 1963, telling the story of the ballplayer's life. In 1972, Mays voiced himself in the animated fictional special <mask>s and the Say-Hey Kid, produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts mentioned Mays numerous times. Many popular songs reference Mays. The Treniers recorded the most famous one—"Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)"—in 1954, with Mays himself participating in the recording."Centerfield" by John Fogerty, which is often played at major and minor league stadiums, mentions Mays, Cobb, and DiMaggio. Others mentioning him include "I Shall Be Free" by Bob Dylan,  "Talkin' Baseball" by Terry Cashman, and "Willie Mays is Up at Bat" by Chuck Prophet and Kurt Lipschutz. Personal life

Mays became the third husband of Marghuerite Wendell Chapman (1926–2010) in 1956. The couple adopted a five-day-old baby named Michael in 1959. They separated in 1962 and divorced in 1963, with Marghuerite taking Michael for the majority of the time. Eight years later, Mays married Mae Louise Allen, a child-welfare worker in San Francisco. Wilt Chamberlain had given Mays her number in 1961, and they dated off and on the next several years.In 1997, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease; <mask> cared for her devotedly until she died from it on April 19, 2013. In the 1970's, Mays was good friends with Gambino Crime Family caporegime Greg DePalma, often playing golf with him. Mays is the godfather of Barry Bonds, whose father, Bobby Bonds, was a friend of his when they were Giants teammates. Glaucoma forced Mays to stop driving a car and playing golf after 2005. See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

 The Series, An Illustrated History of Baseball's Postseason Showcase, 1903–1993, The Sporting News, copyright 1993, The Sporting News Publishing Co. External links

 or Seamheads
May 1951: Minneapolis Tribune account of Mays's first home game as a Minneapolis Miller
<mask>s: Say Hey! – slideshow by Life magazine
<mask>s Biography and Interview on American Academy of Achievement

1931 births
Living people
African-American baseball coaches
African-American baseball players
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
American sportsmen
Baseball players from Alabama
Birmingham Black Barons players
Gold Glove Award winners
Greeters
Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs
Major League Baseball center fielders
Major League Baseball players with retired numbers
Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Namesakes of San Francisco streets
National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
National League All-Stars
National League batting champions
National League home run champions
National League Most Valuable Player Award winners
National League stolen base champions
New York Giants (NL) players
New York Mets coaches
New York Mets players
San Francisco Giants players
Trenton Giants players
United States Army soldiers
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
People from Fairfield, Alabama
Military personnel from Alabama
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American

masks:
Mays
Willie May
Willie Stargell
Willie
Willie
Willie May
Willie May
Mays
Mays
Willie May
Willie May
Mays
Mays
Willie
Willie May
Willie May
Willie
Willie May
Willie May