Willie Mays: Using the Gifts God Gave Us
Dear Pali Pres,
Last week the world lost one of the greatest—if not THE greatest—baseball players of all time. Willie Mays died at the age of 93 after living a long and full life as the “Say Hey Kid.”
Mays’ list of accomplishments as a Hall of Fame baseball player is unmatched. He was a two-time MVP (1954 and 1965), a 24-time All-Star (he won the All-Star Game MVP in 1963 and 1968) and won 12 Gold Glove Awards in center field. He led the league in home runs four times and stolen bases four times. He had a career .302 batting average and 660 home runs (6th all-time) and played in four World Series. In the 1954 World Series he made “The Catch” which is widely considered the greatest defensive play in baseball history. AND he did all of this while missing nearly two full seasons in the prime of his career while serving in the military.
As one of the first African-American superstars in baseball, Mays broke down racial barriers and inspired generations of young people to pursue their dreams. Mays will always be remembered for how he embodied the values of hard work, perseverance, and humility.
As I reflect on the amazing life and career of Willie Mays, I am reminded of a story I once heard about Mays when he was a very young player. Well before he was a household name, Mays struggled to find his own approach to the game of baseball. He was a huge admirer of the great New York Yankee, Joe DiMaggio. Mayes studied everything about DiMaggio’s game…his stance at the place, his swing of the bat, his running style on the base paths, everything. In fact, Mays imitated DiMaggio so much that he wasn’t letting his own talent take over. The results were far from Hall of Fame caliber. Mays’ DiMaggio-inspired approach just wasn’t working.
Finally, one of his coaches pulled him aside and told him, in no uncertain terms, “Stop trying to be like DiMaggio or like anybody else. Be yourself. God has given you great ability." Mays took his coach’s advice and the rest, well, is history.
As much as I admire the great Willie Mays and model my church softball game after him (yes this is a joke—feel free to laugh), I am reminded of his coach’s wise advice. God has made each of us just as we are, with gifts and talents to offer this world in our own unique way. We need not try to be anyone else (not that we can anyway), but simply are called to be ourselves—fully ourselves—and offer that gift to God and this world trusting it will be a blessing to others.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matt
