Maury Wills Positions: Shortstop and Third BasemanBats: Both • Throws: Right5-11, 170lb (180cm, 77kg)Born: October 2, 1932 in Washington, DCHigh 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 SBLast Game: October 4, 1972vs. ATL 0 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SBRookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1959 seasonAgents: John Boggs & AssociatesFull…
On April 25, 1981, Seattle Mariners manager Maury Wills is suspended for two games as punishment for ordering the grounds crew to enlarge the batter’s boxes at the Kingdome. Wills had decided to tamper with the chalk lines after the Oakland A’s complained that Seattle’s Tom Paciorek repeatedly stepped out of the batter’s box while hitting.
The Seattle Mariners fire manager Darrell Johnson and replace him with Maury Wills, who becomes the 3rd black manager in major league history. Seattle has lost nine games in a row and 20 of 24 since the All-Star break.
“Let’s give him this base because if we don’t he’ll just steal it anyway!” —Cool Papa Bell after Lou Brock broke the single-season stolen base record in 1974! On September 10, 1974 At Busch Stadium In the bottom of the seventh inning when Brock singled to left. After a false start, he took off for…
On October 14, 1969, the major leagues hold an expansion draft for four new teams: the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Pilots. The list of players taken in the draft includes future Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm and notables like Tommy Davis, Tommy Harper, Mudcat Grant, and Maury Wills.
Collared his first four times up, Willie Davis hits a double in the 9th inning to stretch his hitting streak to 31 games. The double drives in the winning run as Los Angeles tops the Mets, 5 – 4. The Mets had tied the game in the 8th when Tommie Agee and Donn Clendenon each homered with a man on.
On June 11, 1969, the Los Angeles Dodgers reacquire former star Maury Wills and Manny Mota in a four-player trade with the Montreal Expos for infielder Paul Popovich and outfielder Ron Fairly. As a member of the Dodgers during the 1962 season, Wills set a major league record by stealing 104 bases. The Expos then…
On June 26, 1968 At Busch Stadium Cardinal Bob Gibson pitches his 5th straight shutout in the first game of a doubleheader with Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh wins the second game, 3 – 1, although the Cardinals stop Maury Wills’ 24-game hitting streak. The future Hall of Famer’s accomplishment is one shy of the major league mark,…
On June 10, 1968, Bob Aspromonte and Rusty Staub of the Houston Astros are fined when they refuse to play in the aftermath of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Maury Wills of the Pittsburgh Pirates also refuses to play, resulting in reported disciplinary action. In the meantime, AL games in Baltimore and Chicago…
Looking back on his career some 30 years later, Willie Mays will recall being gunned down going from first to third exactly once: “Roberto Clemente threw me out on a bang-bang play at third. I should have remembered what a tremendous arm he had.” If Willie’s memory is correct, this was the play, as witnessed by James K. McGee of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Willie Mays, leading off the 7th, lined a single into left for the Giants’ first hit. When Willie McCovey, the next hitter, bounced a single over Donn Clendenon’s outstretched glove into right field, it appeared the dam had been broken and runs would flow. Then came the key play of the game. Mays rounded second base and slowed down to draw a throw from right fielder Roberto Clemente. Mays, either overestimating his own speed or underestimating the power and accuracy of Clemente’s arm, was thrown out trying to reach third. Maury Wills tagged him as he slid by.”