If he had been a career .250 (instead of batting, .302 over 22 seasons), Willie Mays may not have made it to the Hall of Fame. But he almost certainly would have been a starting center fielder throughout his career on the strength of his multiple defensive skills.
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| Willie Mays |
Mays was as fast as any center fielder in his prime, able to run down fly balls others couldn’t reach. He had a strong, accurate throwing arm and practically had a patent on the “basket” catch, catching the ball with his glove at his waist rather than above his head.
That’s how Mays naturally caught the ball. So much of his excellent baseball skills just came naturally.
He was a Gold Glove winner from 1957 through 1968, a dozen altogether. He had more career putouts (7,095) than any outfielder before or after him. His career fielding average was .981.
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