If Your Birthday is May 6th...

You share it with the greatest player in Giants history -- and one of the 10 best in the 150 years history of the major leagues -- the radiant star beloved in both San Francisco and New York, Willie Mays. 660 lifetime home runs, a .302 batting average -- and 12 Gold Gloves. Want more? Try this: 50 home run seasons 10 years apart, in 1955 and '65 -- the only player with a pair of such bookends. And let's not forgot that memorable World Series catcher, that over-the-shoulder grab of Vic Wertz' soaring fly ball in deepest center field at the Polo Grounds in the opening game of the 1954 fall classic. You still marvel at it every time you see the replay. Mays' Gold Glove awards are in a special display as you enter AT&T Park.
How's this for being a "difference maker": on July 2, 1963, when Hall of Famers-to-be Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal each threw 15 scoreless innings -- as Willie settled things in the bottom of the 16th inning, homering off Spahn for a 1–0 Giants victory.

Looking at the back of his baseball card, as Willie apparently holds a unique distinction. I can't think of anyone else with more than 20 seasons in the majors who played in a World Series after both the first and last seasons of their career. (The '51 Giants and '73 Mets.) Can you?

More than the stats and the heroics, fans just adore the guy. There's the enduring image of playing stickball with kids in Upper Manhattan, near the Polo Grounds where he lived during his first years in the majors. The R&B group The Treniers recorded the song "Say Hey" in his honor.  And of course, he's the first name in the title of the Terry Cashman retro song "Willie, Mickey and Duke." #24 on his back and a record 24 All Star Games played. Need I say more?

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