I think I was programmed to do good things when I came into the majors. I knew how to play. Willie Mays More Quotes by Willie Mays More Quotes From Willie Mays If you can do that - if you run, hit, run the bases, hit with power, field, throw and do all other things that are part of the game - then you're a good ballplayer. Willie Mays baseballgamesrunning When I got to professional ball I used to play 150 games every year. It depends on how many games there was. Willie Mays gamesplayyears Congratulations to Alex Rodriguez on his 660th home run, milestones in baseball are meant to be broken and I wish him continued success throughout his career. Willie Mays baseballsuccessrunning I remember the last season I played. I went home after a ballgame one day, lay down on my bed, and tears came to my eyes. How can you explain that? It's like crying for your mother after she's gone. You cry because you love her. I cried, I guess, because I loved baseball, and I knew I had to leave it. Willie Mays baseballmotivationalinspirational At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports. Willie Mays guysportsyears I don't rate them, I just hit them. Willie Mays ratebaseball I played with the Birmingham Black Barons. I was making 500 at 14. That was a lot of money in those days. Willie Mays birminghammaking-moneyblack The catch off Bobby Morgan Willie Mays sawseyepeople I'm not the type of guy to go out and just say, 'Hey, I'm raising my fist to do this and do that.' I don't think I'm that type of guy. I wasn't a leader the way other people may have wanted me to be. Willie Mays guypeoplethinking When I was in Birmingham I used to go to a place called Redwood Field. I used to get there for a two o'clock game. Where can you make this kind of money playing sports? It was just a pleasure to go out and enjoy myself and get paid for it. Willie Mays gamessportstwo I don't mean to be bashful, but I was Willie Mays bashfulmean Defense to me is the key to playing baseball. Willie Mays baseballmotivationalsports I was very blessed with a good body. Never got hurt. Never was in the hospital. The only time I was in the hospital was when I would get exhausted a little bit, and go in for a check-up or something. Willie Mays bodyblessedhurt I'm a very lucky guy. I had so many people help me over the years that I never had many problems. If I had a problem, I could sit down with someone and they would explain the problem to me, and the problem become like a baseball game Willie Mays baseballgamesyears Yes, I had to learn how to live life outside, but I had so many people help me. Willie Mays helpinglifepeople I would try and help everybody, because the game was so easy for me. It was just like walking in the park. Willie Mays walking-awaygamestrying I don't compare 'em, I just catch 'em. Willie Mays compareemsbaseball I didn't teach you that. Catch the ball with your glove. Willie Mays glovesballsbaseball "And my father didn't have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn't have black quarterbacks, and I don't think I could have made it in basketball, because I was only 5′ 11". So I just picked baseball." Willie Mays basketballbaseballinspirational I was a baseball player, I taught baseball, and all of a sudden I was in the business world. Now I used the baseball world to talk about their product. Not too much, just enough to keep going. Just be yourself and you'll never have a problem. That's what I did. Willie Mays being-yourselfplayerbaseball
