Editing Willie Mays (section)

===New York / San Francisco Giants===
====NL Rookie of the Year====
[[File:1952 Bowman Willie Mays.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|alt=Painting on a baseball card of Mays in a white baseball uniform staring off to his left as he holds a baseball bat over his right shoulder|1952 [[Bowman (brand)|Bowman]] Willie Mays]]
Playing excellent defense, Mays was called up by the Giants on May 24, 1951.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hynd |first=Noel |url=https://archive.org/details/giantsofpologrou0000hynd |title=The Giants of the Polo Grounds: The Glorious Times of Baseball's New York Giants |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |year=1988 |isbn=0-385 23790-1 |page=358}}</ref> Initially, Mays was reluctant to accept the promotion because he did not believe he was ready to face major league pitchers. 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."<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 145–146.</ref> It was also around this time that Mays was given his famous moniker: "The Say Hey Kid".{{efn|It is not known for certain how Mays became known as "The Say Hey Kid"; sportswriters Barney Kremenko and [[Jimmy Cannon]] have both been attributed as possible creators.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/s/000725williemaysadd.html |title=Willie had it all the way |website=[[ESPN]] |date=June 21, 2004 |archive-date=August 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819102507/http://www.espn.com/classic/s/000725williemaysadd.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Mays at 75">{{cite news | title=Mays at 75: The Say-Hey Kid has lots of fond memories, few regrets | url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/shea/article/MAYS-AT-75-The-Say-Hey-Kid-has-lots-of-fond-2498355.php | first=John | last=Shea | newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date=May 3, 2006 | archive-date=April 11, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411141442/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2006%2F05%2F03%2FSPGV1IJEEB1.DTL | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 114.</ref> For his part, Kremenko, who covered the 1951 Giants for the ''[[New York Journal-American]]'', definitely used the phrase as early as December 1951, as one of a series of guest columnists filling in for ''[[The Afro-American]]'s'' ailing [[Sam Lacy]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Kremenko, Barney |date=December 1, 1951 |url=https://www.mediafire.com/view/etkl7a2misdffa0 |title=From A to Z with Sam Lacy |newspaper=[[The Afro-American]] |quote=In no time at all, his 'say who' or 'say hey' or 'say what' queries to anyone addressing him made him the 'say hey kid'. |page=15 |access-date=November 9, 2021 |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619040406/https://www.mediafire.com/view/etkl7a2misdffa0 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, five months prior to that, manager [[Leo Durocher]] himself is cited as the nickname's source by longtime ''[[Amsterdam News]]'' sportswriter Jackie Reemes.<ref>{{cite web |author=Reemes, Jackie |date=June 30, 1951 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/225806089 |title=Reams of Sports: Mays Challenges for Rookie Honors |newspaper=[[New York Amsterdam News]] |page=16 |id={{ProQuest|225806089}} |quote=The 'say-hey' kid, as Durocher has tagged Willie since his quaint expression has become so popular among Mays's teammates, was swinging the wagon-tongue at .467 pace when he was drafted by the Giants from their Minneapolis Lakers club in the American Association in May. |access-date=March 7, 2022 |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619040406/https://www.proquest.com/docview/225806089 |url-status=live }}</ref> The nickname led people to believe "Say hey!" was a common expression Mays used, when he actually used only "hey" with regularity in his everyday conversations.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 111.</ref>}}

The Giants hoped Mays would help them defensively in center field, as well as offensively.<ref name="Koppett">{{cite book|last=Koppett|first=Leonard|title=A Thinking Man's Guide to Baseball|publisher=[[E. P. Dutton]] |url=https://archive.org/details/thinkingfansguid00kopp |pages=226–27|isbn=978-1199112378|year=1967}}</ref> The [[Polo Grounds]] featured an unusual horseshoe shape, with relatively short left field ({{convert|280|ft|disp=semicolon}}) and right field ({{convert|258|ft|disp=semicolon}}) lines but the deepest center field in baseball ({{convert|483|ft|disp=semicolon}}).<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 101–102, 195.</ref> Mays appeared in his first major league game on May 25 against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] at [[Shibe Park]], batting third.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 153.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016223.html |title=Mays brought joy to baseball |website=[[ESPN]] |archive-date=April 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425222958/https://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016223.html |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 hitter|pull]] the ball and just make contact.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 154–155.</ref><ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 104.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1951 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1951 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622091012/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1951 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |access-date=June 19, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He would bat close to .290 for the rest of the season. Although his .274 average, 68 RBIs, and 20 home runs (in 121 games) would rank among the lowest totals of his career, he still won the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]].<ref name="reference">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413190522/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml |archive-date=April 13, 2009 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

On August 11, the [[1951 New York Giants (MLB) season|Giants]] found themselves {{frac|13|1|2}} games back of the [[1951 Brooklyn Dodgers season|Dodgers]] in the NL [[pennant race]]; Brooklyn manager [[Charlie Dressen]] triumphantly predicted, "The Giants is dead."<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 123.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 127–128.</ref> During the pennant race, Mays's fielding and strong throwing arm were instrumental in several important Giants' victories. Mays was in the [[On-deck|on-deck circle]] on October 3 when [[Bobby Thomson]] hit [[Shot Heard 'Round the World (baseball)|a three-run homer]] to win the three-game [[1951 National League tie-breaker series|NL tie-breaker series]] 2–1.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 170.</ref>

The Giants met the [[1951 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in the [[1951 World Series]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 226–229.</ref> In Game 1, Mays, [[Hank Thompson (baseball)|Hank Thompson]], and [[Monte Irvin]] composed the first all-black outfield in major league history. For the series, Mays hit poorly as the Giants lost the series in six games. In Game 5, he hit a consequential [[fly ball (baseball)|fly ball]], which DiMaggio and Yankee rookie [[Mickey Mantle]] pursued. DiMaggio called Mantle off at the last second; as he stopped, Mantle got his cleat stuck in an open drainpipe, suffering a knee injury that would affect him the rest of his career.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 173–174.</ref>

====U.S. Army====
Soon after the 1951 season ended, Mays learned the [[United States Army]] had [[Conscription in the United States|drafted]] him to serve in the [[Korean War]].<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 175–177, 182.</ref> 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 and 23 RBI in 34 games.<ref name="reference" /> He surprised sportswriters like [[Red Smith (sportswriter)|Red Smith]] when he drew cheers from fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants' archrivals, in his last game before reporting.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 181–182.</ref>

After his induction into the Army on May 29, Mays reported to [[Fort Eustis]] in Virginia, where he spent much of his time playing for the Fort Eustis Wheels military baseball team with (and against) other major and minor leaguers, as well as serving as an athletic instructor in the Physical Training Department.<ref name="SABR">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/willie-mays/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028201314/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/willie-mays/ |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref><ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 182–183.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shoop |first=Tom |date=February 21, 2021 |title=The Day Private Willie Mays Threw Out My Dad |url=https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/02/day-private-willie-mays-threw-out-my-dad/172187/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619033533/https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/02/day-private-willie-mays-threw-out-my-dad/172187/ |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |access-date=June 20, 2024 |website=[[Government Executive|Defense One]]}}</ref> It was at Fort Eustis that Mays learned the [[Glossary of baseball terms#basket catch|basket catch]] from fellow Fort Eustis outfielder Al Fortunato. Mays, by his own estimation, played 180 games for the Wheels, and missed about 275 games for the Giants because of his military service. Mays' time playing for the Wheels ended on July 28, 1953, after he chipped a bone in his left foot while sliding into third base, necessitating a six-week stint in a cast.<ref name="army">{{cite web |last=Hanson |first=John A. |date=February 15, 2018 |title=Baseball Great and the Fort Eustis Connection |url=https://www.army.mil/article/200712/baseball_great_and_the_fort_eustis_connection |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930091709/https://www.army.mil/article/200712/baseball_great_and_the_fort_eustis_connection |archive-date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=April 5, 2018 |work=[[United States Army]]}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite web |last=Saccoman |first=John |title=April 13, 1954: Willie Mays returns to Giants after service in Army |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-13-1954-willie-mays-returns-to-giants-after-service-in-army/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620053430/https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-13-1954-willie-mays-returns-to-giants-after-service-in-army/ |archive-date=June 20, 2024 |access-date=June 20, 2024 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}
</ref> Discharged on March 1, 1954, he reported to Giants' [[spring training]] camp the following day.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 201.</ref>{{efn|Following the Korean War, the Congressional Armed Services Defenses Subcommittee investigated the military records of ten athletes who had been drafted into the service, and a Congressional report dated July 22 determined that the athletes were "pampered" or "coddled" while in uniform. However, the report did not find Mays guilty of any wrongdoing.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 162.</ref>}}

====World Series champion and NL MVP====
[[File:The Catch.png|thumb|right|upright=0.8|alt=Nearly at a wall, Mays reaches up underhanded to catch a ball falling towards him while over 30 feet above, several rows of fans stare down at him|The Catch: Mays hauls in Vic Wertz's drive near the wall in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.]]

Mays began the 1954 season on [[Opening Day]] with a home run of over {{convert|414|ft}} against [[Carl Erskine]].<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 205–206.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 185; [[#Barra|Barra]], p. 206.</ref> On June 25, he hit an [[inside-the-park]] home run in a 6–2 victory over the [[Chicago Cubs]].<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 207.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 25, 1954 |title=Chicago Cubs vs New York Giants Box Score: June 25, 1954 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1195406250.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701035717/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1195406250.shtml |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Mays was selected for the NL [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star team]]; he would be part of 24 straight NL All-Star teams over 20 seasons.{{efn|Major League Baseball held two All-Star Games a year from 1959 through 1962.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/sports/baseball/15sandomir.html |title=When Midsummer Had Two Classics |authorlink=Richard Sandomir | first=Richard | last=Sandomir |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 15, 2008| url-access=limited |archive-date=April 17, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417070713/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/sports/baseball/15sandomir.html?ref=sports |url-status=live}}</ref>}}<ref name="HOF"/> Mays became the first player in history to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star Game.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eagle |first=Ed |date=July 7, 2019 |title=Players with at least 30 HR by All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/30-or-more-home-runs-before-mlb-all-star-game-c266214234 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818201910/https://www.mlb.com/news/30-or-more-home-runs-before-mlb-all-star-game-c266214234 |archive-date=August 18, 2020 |access-date=June 23, 2019 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 112–113.</ref><ref name="1954 Mays">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1954 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1954 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624001004/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1954 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="1954 Mays"/><ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 114.</ref> Hitting 41 home runs, Mays won the NL [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|Most Valuable Player Award]] and the [[Hickok Belt]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays (1954) |url=http://hickokbelt.com/index.php/winners/past-winners/winners/willie-mays/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629234259/http://hickokbelt.com/index.php/winners/past-winners/winners/willie-mays/ |archive-date=June 29, 2020 |website=[[Hickok Belt]]}}</ref>

The Giants won the [[National League pennant winners 1901-68|NL pennant]] and the [[1954 World Series]], sweeping the [[1954 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] in four games.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 239–242.</ref> The 1954 series is perhaps best remembered for "[[The Catch (baseball)|The Catch]]", an over-the-shoulder running grab by Mays of a long drive off the bat of [[Vic Wertz]] about {{convert|425|ft}} 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 that of all the catches that Mays made, "it is regarded as his greatest".<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 212–216.</ref><ref name="ESPN">{{cite web|last=Schwartz|first=Larry|url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00215053.html|title=The Say Hey Kid|website=[[ESPN]]|access-date=March 19, 2009|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202222/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00215053.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Bill |last=Deane |magazine=[[Baseball Digest]] |date=October 2005 |title=Catching up with Vic Wertz's 1954 World Series Drive}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 117–118; [[#Barra|Barra]], p. 218.</ref> The Giants won the game in the 10th inning on a three-run home run by [[Dusty Rhodes (outfielder)|Dusty Rhodes]], with Mays scoring the winning run.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 198.</ref>

Mays added [[Stolen base|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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 128–129; [[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 239.</ref> Mays led the league with 51 but finished fourth in NL MVP voting.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 229.</ref> Leading the league with a .659 [[slugging percentage]], Mays batted .319 as the Giants finished in third.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 228</ref> 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, "Willie Mays doesn't need help from anyone."<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 104–105, 244–246.</ref>

====New manager====
[[File:Willie Mays 1954.png|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=Photograph of Willie Mays in a Giants uniform cradles six bats over his right shoulder| Mays in 1954]]

In 1956, Mays struggled at first to get along with new manager [[Bill Rigney]], who publicly criticized him.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 252.</ref> 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 a career-high 40 bases, becoming only the second player to join the [[30–30 club]].<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 254.</ref> Though his RBI (84) and batting average (.296) were his lowest for nearly a decade, Barra observed that "Willie Mays was still the best all-around player in the National League."<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 240–241.</ref>

The relationship between Mays and Rigney improved in 1957. Rigney stopped giving Mays as much direction, trusting his star player's ability and instinct.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 256–257</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 258.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 21, 1957 |title=Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Giants Box Score: April 21, 1957 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1195704211.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828040607/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1195704211.shtml |archive-date=August 28, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He stole home in a 4–3 loss to the Cubs on May 21.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 21, 1957 |title=New York Giants vs Chicago Cubs Box Score: May 21, 1957 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN195705210.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703194411/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN195705210.shtml |archive-date=July 3, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> The 1957 season was the first in which the [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove]] Awards were presented. Mays 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.<ref name="reference"/>

Dwindling attendance and the desire for a new ballpark prompted the Giants to move to San Francisco following the 1957 season.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 259–261.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 255–256.</ref>

====Move to San Francisco====
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.<ref name="auto">[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 148.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 150.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 28, 1958 |title=St. Louis Cardinals vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: September 28, 1958 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN195809280.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206115254/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN195809280.shtml |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Mays shared the inaugural [[MLB Player of the Month|NL Player of the Month award]] with Stan Musial in May, batting .405 with 12 home runs and 29 runs batted in; he won a second award in September (.434, four home runs, 18 RBI).<ref name="Player of the Month">{{cite news |title=MLB Player of the Month Award |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/player_of_the_month_award.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706134516/https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/player_of_the_month_award.shtml |archive-date=July 6, 2020 |access-date=July 5, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1958 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1958 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624001017/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1958 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He played in 152 games, batting .347 with 29 home runs and 96 RBI.<ref name="reference"/>

[[Horace Stoneham]], the Giants' owner, made Mays the highest-paid player in baseball with a $75,000 contract for 1959.{{efn|Mays would be the highest-paid player through the 1972 season, with the exceptions of 1962 (when he and Mantle tied at $90,000) and 1966 (when [[Sandy Koufax]] topped him).}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Haupert |first=Michael |title=MLB's annual salary leaders since 1874 |url=https://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004175317/https://sabr.org/research/mlbs-annual-salary-leaders-1874-2012 |archive-date=October 4, 2019 |access-date=March 23, 2020 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref> Mays had his first serious injury in 1959, a collision with [[Sammy White (baseball)|Sammy White]] in spring training that resulted in 35 stitches in his leg, but he was ready by the start of the season.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 307.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1959 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1959 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624210932/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1959 |archive-date=June 24, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Against the Reds in August, Mays broke a finger but kept it a secret to prevent opposing pitchers from targeting it.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 153; [[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 312.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 314.</ref> In 1959, Mays batted .313 with 34 home runs and 104 RBI in 151 games, leading the league in stolen bases (27) for the fourth year in a row.<ref name="reference"/>

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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 283.</ref> 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.<ref name="auto1">[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 322.</ref> He hit two home runs on June 24 and stole home in a 5–3 victory over the [[Cincinnati Reds]].<ref>{{cite web |date=June 24, 1960 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: June 24, 1960 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN196006240.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523150613/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN196006240.shtml |archive-date=May 23, 2021 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> On September 15, he tied an NL record with three [[Triple (baseball)|triples]] in an 11-inning, 8–6 win over the Phillies.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 15, 1960 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Philadelphia Phillies Box Score: September 15, 1960 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196009150.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604143532/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI196009150.shtml |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref><ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 326.</ref> "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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 324; [[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 284, 286.</ref> For the second time in three years, he hit 29 home runs while leading the NL with 190 hits. He also drove in 103 runs, batting .319 with 25 stolen bases.<ref name="reference"/>

[[File:Willie Mays 1961.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|alt=Photograph of Mays with SF on his black cap staring towards the camera holding a bat on his right side, with a baseball grandstand in the background|Mays in 1961]]
[[Alvin Dark]] was hired to manage the Giants before the start of the 1961 season, and the improving Giants finished in third place.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 291–293.</ref> Mays had one of his best games on April 30, 1961, [[List of Major League Baseball single-game home run leaders|hitting four home runs]] and driving in eight runs against the [[History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee|Milwaukee Braves]] at [[County Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |date=April 30, 1961 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Milwaukee Braves Box Score: April 30, 1961 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN196104300.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201220910/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MLN/MLN196104300.shtml |archive-date=February 1, 2018 |access-date=March 27, 2018 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> According to Mays, he had been unsure if he would even play because of food poisoning.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 166–167.</ref> Each of his home runs traveled over {{convert|400|ft}}. 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 292.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=1961 San Francisco Giants Batting Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1961-batting.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805082058/https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1961-batting.shtml |archive-date=August 5, 2023 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Mays led the league with 129 runs scored and batted .308 with 123 RBI in 154 games.<ref name="reference"/>

====1962 pennant race====
Though he had continued to play at a high 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 263–264.</ref> 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.<ref name="Wood">{{Cite news |last=Wood |first=Hal |date=June 23, 1961 |title=Willie Mays Finally Has Love Of San Francisco Giants Fans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alabama-tribune-willie-mays-finally-has/160313689/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241205003555/https://www.newspapers.com/article/alabama-tribune-willie-mays-finally-has/160313689/ |archive-date=December 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |work=[[Alabama Tribune]] |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> Mays said in 1959 that he did not mind the booing, but he admitted in a 1961 article that the catcalls were bothering him.<ref name="Wood" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Richman |first=Milton |date=January 11, 1959 |title=Willie Mays Says Watch Pirates Next Season |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-willie-mays-say/160313885/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241205004145/https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-willie-mays-say/160313885/ |archive-date=December 5, 2024 |access-date=December 5, 2024 |work=[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]] |page=29 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |agency=[[United Press International]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 293, 301.</ref>

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).<ref>{{cite web |title=1962 San Francisco Giants Batting Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1962-batting.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706020234/https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1962-batting.shtml |archive-date=July 6, 2020 |access-date=July 6, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He finished second in NL MVP voting to [[Maury Wills]], who had broken [[Ty Cobb]]'s record for stolen bases in a season.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 310.</ref> 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 [[1962 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 176.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 30, 1962 |title=Houston Colt .45s vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: September 30, 1962 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196209300.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728222438/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196209300.shtml |archive-date=July 28, 2020 |work=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> The Giants faced the Dodgers in a [[1962 National League tie-breaker series|three-game playoff series]]. With the Giants trailing 4–2 in the top of the ninth inning of Game 3, Mays 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 [[1962 World Series|World Series]] against the Yankees.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 302–303.</ref>

In Game 1 of the World Series, a 6–2 loss to New York, Mays recorded three hits. He would bat merely .250 in the series overall.<ref name="postseason">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays Postseason Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=0&post=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625155352/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=0&post=1 |archive-date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> The Series went all the way to a Game 7, which the Yankees led 1–0 in the bottom of the ninth inning. [[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.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 276–279.</ref> It was Mays's last World Series appearance as a Giant.<ref name="postseason"/> 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 304–306.</ref>

====Record-setting contract====
Before the 1963 season, Mays signed a contract worth a record-setting $105,000 per season ({{Inflation|US|105000|1963|fmt=eq|r=-4}}).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Linge |first1=Mary |url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/willie-mays-mary-linge/1007343594 |title=Willie Mays: A Biography |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-0313334016 |page=151 |access-date=August 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230805105512/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/willie-mays-mary-linge/1007343594 |archive-date=August 5, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 2, 1963 |title=Milwaukee Braves vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: July 2, 1963 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196307020.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107091357/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196307020.shtml |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=March 27, 2018 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He considered the home run one of his most important, along with his first and the four-home-run game.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 404.</ref> In August, he won his third NL Player of the Month Award after batting .387 with eight home runs and 27 RBI.<ref name="Player of the Month"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1963 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1963 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622214514/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1963 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> He hit his 400th home run on August 27 against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], the tenth player to reach that mark. Mays finished the 1963 season batting .314 with 38 home runs and 103 RBI, stealing only eight bases, his fewest since 1954.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 317–318.</ref>

Normally the third batter in the lineup, Mays was moved to fourth in 1964 before returning to third in subsequent years.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 238.</ref> 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."<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 413.</ref> Against the Phillies on September 4, Mays made what Hirsch called "one of the most acrobatic catches of his career". [[Rubén Amaro Sr.]] hit a ball to the scoreboard at Philadelphia's [[Connie Mack Stadium]]. Mays, 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 in 157 games.<ref name="reference" /><ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 421.</ref>

====Second NL MVP====
[[File:Willie Mays 1965.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|alt=Photographic portrait of an older Willie Mays in a San Francisco Giants uniform, the top button of which is undone|Mays in his later years with the Giants]]
A torn shoulder muscle sustained in a 1965 game against the Atlanta Braves impaired Mays'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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 217.</ref> On August 22, Mays acted as a peacemaker during a [[Battle of Candlestick Park|14-minute brawl between the Giants and Dodgers]] after Marichal had bloodied Dodgers catcher [[John Roseboro]] with a bat.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vass |first=George |year=2000 |title=Letting Off Steam – confrontations between players, fans and umpires |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_10_59/ai_65131125/pg_6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014021253/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_10_59/ai_65131125/pg_6 |archive-date=October 14, 2008 |magazine=[[Baseball Digest]] |via=[[BNET]]}}</ref> Mays grabbed Roseboro by the waist and helped him off the field, then tackled [[Lou Johnson]] to keep him from attacking an umpire.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 343.</ref> Johnson kicked him in the head and nearly knocked him out. After the brawl, Mays hit a game-winning three-run home run against [[Sandy Koufax]], but he did not finish the game, feeling dizzy after the home run.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 222–223.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 22, 1965 |title=Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: August 22, 1965 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196508220.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426044513/http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196508220.shtml |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>

Mays won his fourth and final NL Player of the Month award in August 1965 (.363, 17 home runs, 29 RBI).<ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1965 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1965 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107101451/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1965 |archive-date=November 7, 2020 |access-date=December 14, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> On September 13, he hit his [[500 home run club|500th career home run]] off [[Don Nottebart]], becoming the fifth player to reach the mark. 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."<ref>{{cite news |last=Einstein |first=Charles |date=April 15, 2004 |title=The Majesty of Mays |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/15/SPGKS61N7V12.DTL |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525132019/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/04/15/SPGKS61N7V12.DTL |archive-date=May 25, 2007 |access-date=February 19, 2007 |newspaper=[[SFGate]]}}</ref> 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 (baseball)|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.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 14, 1965 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Houston Astros Box Score: September 14, 1965 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196509140.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324221504/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU196509140.shtml |archive-date=March 24, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Mays 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".<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 344.</ref> 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 club|50 home run seasons]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Langs |first=Sarah |date=September 29, 2019 |title=A complete list of every 50-homer season |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/every-50-home-run-season |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709030147/https://www.mlb.com/news/every-50-home-run-season |archive-date=July 9, 2020 |access-date=July 7, 2020 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> He scored 118 runs, the 12th year in a row he had scored at least 100 runs in a season.<ref name="reference"/>

Mays 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 231.</ref> He finally set the record May 4.<ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1966 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1966 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622155327/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1966 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> 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 (1960s outfielder)|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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 463.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 7, 1966 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers Box Score: September 7, 1966 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196609070.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122034749/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196609070.shtml |archive-date=January 22, 2018 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> Mays finished third in the NL MVP voting, the ninth and final time he finished in the top five in the voting for the award.<ref name="reference"/> He batted .288 with 99 runs scored, 37 home runs, and 103 RBI in 152 games;<ref name="reference" /> by season's end, only Babe Ruth had hit more home runs (714 to 542).<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 346.</ref>

====Player of the Decade====
[[File:Maury Wills Milton Berle Jimmy Piersall Willie Mays Hollywood Palace 1967.JPG|thumb|Mays (right) with [[Maury Wills]], [[Milton Berle]], and [[Jimmy Piersall]] in 1967]]
Mays had 13 home runs and 44 RBI through his first 75 games of 1967 but then went into a slump.<ref name="1967 Mays">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1967 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1967 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625162610/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1967 |archive-date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> On June 7, [[Gary Nolan (baseball)|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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 348–349.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=June 7, 1967 |title=San Francisco Giants vs Cincinnati Reds Box Score: June 7, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN196706070.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322221506/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN196706070.shtml |archive-date=March 22, 2020 |access-date=July 8, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 236.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=July 14, 1967 |title=Houston Astros vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: July 14, 1967 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196707140.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121174838/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN196707140.shtml |archive-date=November 21, 2023 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> In 141 games, Mays hit .263 with 83 runs scored, 128 hits, and 22 home runs. He only drove in 70 runs for the year, the first time since 1958 he had failed to reach 100.<ref name="reference"/>

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]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/05/20/people|title=People|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|date=May 20, 1968 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527221140/https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/05/20/people |archive-date= May 27, 2023 }}</ref> He played 148 games and upped his batting average to .289, accumulating 84 runs scored, 144 hits, 23 home runs, and 79 runs batted in.<ref name="reference"/> In 1969, new Giants' manager [[Clyde King]] moved Mays to the [[Leadoff hitter|leadoff position]] in the batting lineup because Mays was hitting fewer home runs.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 484.</ref> Mays privately chafed at the move, later comparing it to "[[O. J. Simpson]] blocking for the fullback".<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], pp. 238–239.</ref> He injured his knee in a collision with catcher [[Randy Hundley]] on July 29, forcing him to miss several games.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 485–486.</ref><ref name="1969 Mays">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1969 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1969 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622171730/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1969 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |access-date=August 14, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> On September 22, he hit his 600th home run, saying later, "Winning the game was more important to me than any individual achievements."<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 241.</ref> In 117 games, he batted .283 with 13 home runs and 58 RBI.<ref name="reference"/>

The ''[[Sporting News]]'' named Mays the 1960s "Player of the Decade" in January 1970.<ref>{{cite web |last=Muder |first=Craig |title=Mays Honored as Top Player of 1960s by Sporting News |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/mays-honored-as-top-player-of-1960s |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117212523/https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/mays-honored-as-top-player-of-1960s |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |access-date=August 13, 2020 |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 491.</ref> Mays picked up his [[3,000 hit club|3,000th hit]] against the [[Montreal Expos]] on July 18.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], p. 375.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=July 18, 1970 |title=Montreal Expos vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: July 18, 1970 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197007180.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709230147/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197007180.shtml |archive-date=July 9, 2020 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> "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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 493.</ref> He scheduled his off days that season to avoid facing [[strikeout]] pitchers such as [[Bob Gibson]] or [[Tom Seaver]].<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 492.</ref>

====Later years with the Giants====
Though center field remained his primary position in 1971, Mays played 48 games at first base.<ref name="reference"/> He got off to a fast start in 1971, the year he turned 40.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 499.</ref> 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], pp. 497–498.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 31, 1971 |title=New York Mets vs San Francisco Giants Box Score: May 31, 1971 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197105310.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200831014844/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197105310.shtml |archive-date=August 31, 2020 |access-date=August 15, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="1971 Mays">{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1971 Batting Gamelogs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mccovwi01&t=b&year=1971 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611200412/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mccovwi01&t=b&year=1971 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=March 25, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref> 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 [[Willie McCovey]], 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.<ref>[[#Mays|Mays and Sahadi]], p. 246.</ref> Subsequently, Mays led the league in on-base percentage (.425) for only the second time, though his 123 strikeouts were a career-high. He finished the season batting .271 with 18 home runs, 61 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 136 games.<ref name="reference"/>

The Giants won the [[National League West|NL West]] in 1971, returning Mays to the playoffs for the first time since 1962.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1971 San Francisco Giants Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/1971.shtml |access-date=December 29, 2024 |website=[[Baseball Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> In the [[1971 National League Championship Series|NL Championship Series]] (NLCS) against the Pirates, Mays had a home run and three RBI in the first two games. In Game 3, Mays 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.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 501.</ref> After the season, Mays was honored as the winner of the inaugural [[Roberto Clemente Award]], known at that time as the Commissioner's Award.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roberto Clemente Award History |url=https://robertoclementefoundation.com/roberto-clemente-award-history/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621030834/https://robertoclementefoundation.org/ |archive-date=June 21, 2024 |access-date=June 15, 2021 |website=Roberto Clemente Foundation}}</ref>

Mays got off to a tortuous start to the 1972 season, batting .184 with 3 RBI through his first 19 games.<ref name="reference" /> 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.<ref>[[#Barra|Barra]], pp. 381–382.</ref> The Giants organization was having financial troubles, and Mays had to settle for a two-year, $330,000 contract.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 507; [[#Barra|Barra]], p. 382.</ref> Mays quibbled with manager [[Charlie Fox (baseball)|Charlie Fox]], leaving the stadium before the start of a doubleheader on April 30 without telling him.<ref>[[#Hirsch|Hirsch]], p. 506.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Willie Mays 1972 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1972 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200625011633/https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=mayswi01&t=b&year=1972 |archive-date=June 25, 2020 |access-date=July 10, 2020 |website=[[Baseball Reference]]}}</ref>