Willie Mays Is Still Alive – Here’s What He’s Doing Now
Baseball has long been called America’s favorite pastime, and the game continues to enjoy a large fan base with devoted baseball enthusiasts of all ages. One player and celebrity that every baseball fan should know is Willie Mays, though many haven’t heard any news about him in recent years and wonder what is up to. Learn more about his legendary career, his recent work, and what his net worth is.
Willie Mays’ career
Willie Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, about six years after he retired from Major League Baseball. Mays got his start with the Birmingham Barons in the American Negro League when he was just 16 years old, and it didn’t take long for him to secure a contract with the New York Giants to play in the big leagues in 1950.
Mays won the National League Rookie of the Year award after starting his season with unremarkable stats but working his way up to a more impressive showing in that first year. After being in the Army in 1952 and 1953, he returned for the 1954 season with a phenomenal .345 batting average. He hit 41 home runs that year, and it became clear that he was a force to be reckoned with.
He and the New York Giants won the World Series that same year, and he also took home the National League MVP award that season, as well as the 1965 season. Mays was also the National League home run leader in 1955, 1962, 1964, and 1965, and he was the National League stolen base leader for four seasons in a row from 1956-1959. He won 12 Gold Glove Awards and was a 24-time All-Star before hanging up his cleats after 21 seasons with the Giants and two with the Mets, according to Baseball Reference.
What is he doing now?
According to Forbes, Mays is Baseball’s oldest living Hall of Famer. At 90 years old, Mays is still alive and appears to be doing quite well. On his 90th birthday, it was announced that HBO is producing a documentary about Mays’ life, and it’s expected to premiere sometime in 2022. The news has created quite a stir in the world of baseball, as many consider him to be the greatest player of all time.
Mays stated when asked about the documentary, “Some say that throughout my life I have inspired others, but the truth is that so many have done this for me. My teammates, my friends, and of course the fans mean so much to me. And so I hope this documentary can give back to all of them something enjoyable and inspiring in return.”
Outside of working on the documentary, Mays had worked on a book called 24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid that was released in May of 2020. The New York Times reports that this book has been in the works for around 15 years before finally getting completed and published. It was intended as a book that would have a place in classrooms and inspire youth.
What is Willie Mays’ net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth reports that Willie Mays’ net worth is approximately $3 million. This may seem like a low figure for such a notable sports figure, but $3 million during the years of his baseball career is much different from $3 million in today’s salaries.
It’s not uncommon for Major League Baseball players to bring home several times this amount in a single year, though according to ESPN the average MLB salary is $4.17 million.
Willie Mays is a beloved figure in baseball, and baseball fans can look forward to the upcoming documentary on his life and career sometime next year.
