# Willie Mays: since his playing days, was or is anyone better? Or who comes closest? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [June 19, 2024, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064 "2024-06-19T19:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/61 "2024-06-24T23:25:44Z")
That’s hilarious. He runs like he’s carrying a refrigerator on his back. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/62 "2024-06-25T00:43:07Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Well, not the slowest guys. While reading this I was thinking of Yadi… And then @running_coach comes through! Added — in 19 years he’s hit 7 triples. > **[Yadier Molina Batting Stats | Baseball-Reference.com](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/molinya01-bat.shtml)** > > Check out the latest Batting Stats of Yadier Molina. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/63 "2024-06-25T00:57:05Z")
That wasn’t Yadi hitting for the cycle - it was his older, slower brother Benji. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/64 "2024-06-25T01:23:14Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > but I think triples are more an indication of speed than power. Yeah, in addition to really good speed, triples are also highly dependent on park factors. Kaufman Stadium has traditionally been very triple-friendly. Willie Wilson was extremely proficient at triples, hitting 88 of his 147 triples at home and leading the league 5 times. (I’m not sure if copious amounts of cocaine is also beneficial to racking up three-baggers, but it sure didn’t hurt Willie…) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/65 "2024-06-25T05:19:23Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Incidentally, for pure fly shagging, Richie Ashburn regularly made 40-50 more putouts than Mays. There is something about Shibe Park that jacked up CF putout totals. If you look at whomever was playing center for the A’s during Ashburn’s career there they always had putout totals higher than you’d think that player would be capable of. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/66 "2024-06-25T06:32:06Z")
Yeah, its obvious, which is why I asked. Don’t home runs, total bases, stolen bases, and slugging percentage, batting average, etc already cover hitting, running, and power? Seems arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/67 "2024-06-25T12:34:43Z")
Shibe Park had nothing unusual about it. About 330 down the lines and 405 in dead center. I probably went to 100 games there growing up. It had the most beautiful outer facade of any park I’ve seen. The one thing that might have boosted Ashburn’s total is that Robin Roberts was a notorious fly ball pitcher. I don’t recall who the A’s center fielder was. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/68 "2024-06-25T12:38:38Z")
Mays has more triples than anyone else in the 500HR club. I think that makes it significant. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/69 "2024-06-26T13:35:30Z")
Some years ago Will Clark was asked for a favorite Willie Mays story. The interviewer is a little eccentric, but this is pretty funny. On Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Z9Rblv2gK](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Z9Rblv2gK) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064/70 "2024-06-27T16:18:16Z")
The fences might have been normal, but the fact remains that center field putout totals there were VERY high, no matter who was playing it. Robin Roberts definitely helped too. Actually, the entire staff; the Phillies in Ashburn’s prime didn’t usually strike a lot of guys out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/willie-mays-since-his-playing-days-was-or-is-anyone-better-or-who-comes-closest/1003064.md?page=3)