Maury Wills Stats & Facts
Maury Wills
Positions: Shortstop and Third Baseman
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
5-11, 170lb (180cm, 77kg)
Born: October 2, 1932 in Washington, DC
High School: Cardozo HS (Washington, DC)
Debut: June 6, 1959 (11,650th in major league history)
vs. MLN 4 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 4, 1972
vs. ATL 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1959 season
Agents: John Boggs & Associates
Full Name: Maurice Morning Wills
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Father of Bump Wills
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1959
Willie McCovey
Billy Williams
Maury Wills
Tommy Davis
Jim Kaat
Tim McCarver
Jim Perry
Mike Cuellar
Zoilo Versalles
All-Time Teammate Team
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Notable Events and Chronology
Biography
Had he not been tucked away in the minor leagues for eight seasons, Maury Wills would probably be a Hall of Famer. Drafted by Brooklyn, Wills passed to the Reds and Tigers before making his way back to the Dodgers in 1958. At the age of 27, he was finally given an opportunity to play full-time in the major leagues, and he responded by hitting .295 and leading the National League with 50 stolen bases. It was the first of six straight stolen base titles for Wills, who almost single-handedly re-introduced the steal as an offensive weapon. Wills worked hard to become a good shortstop, and eventually earned two Gold Gloves. A switch-hitter, Wills batted at or near .290 in his years with the Dodgers, but had a career season in 1962. That year he hit .299, collected 208 hits, and stoled a major league record 104 bases. He was thrown out just 13 times and his baserunning exploits earned him the NL MVP Award. With the Dodgers, Wills played in four World Series, and batted .367 in the 1965 Fall Classic. He was dealt to the Pirates and Expos before returning to Los Angeles for four more years at the end of his career. He had collected more than 2,100 hits, 1,000 runs and stoled 586 bases despite his late start in the big leagues.
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Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Played For
Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-1966)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1967-1968)
Montreal Expos (1969)
Los Angeles Dodgers (1969-1972)
Managed
Seattle Mariners (1980-1981)
Similar: None
Linked: Gene Alley, Lou Brock, Ty Cobb, Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, Ron LeFlore, Bump Wills
Best Season, 1962
In spite of his diminutive size, Wills got stronger as the ’62 campaign wore on. His batting average increased in each of the first four months of the season, and he batted .368 with 27 stolen bases in September. He was named NL Most Valuable Player, barely edging Willie Mays, whose Giants won the pennant over the Dodgers in a special playoff.
Awards and Honors
1961 NL Gold Glove
1962 ML AS MVP
1962 NL Gold Glove
1962 NL MVP
All-Star Selections
Post-Season Appearances
1959 World Series
1963 World Series
1965 World Series
1966 World Series
Where He Played: Shortstop
Hitting Streaks
24 games (1968)
20 games (1965)
19 games (1962)
All-Star Selections
1961 NL
1962 NL
1963 NL
1965 NL
1966 NL
Other Resources & Links
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProjec
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