New Rochelle: Home to Baseball Hall of Famers - Willie Mays

Willie Mays 

Born William Howard Mays, Jr. on May 6, 1931, in Westfield, Alabama, Willie Mays was the son of a steelworker who played center field for a local professional baseball team. Mays' mother, Ann, had been a high school track star, and it was clear from a very early age that Willie had inherited his parents' athletic talents. Mays excelled in all phases of the game - hitting for average and power, fielding, throwing and base running. His career statistics include 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. He earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 and two MVP Awards. He accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in 24 All-Star games and participated in four World Series. His catch in the '54 Series lives on as one of baseball's most memorable moments.

The "Say Hey Kid," as he was nicknamed, moved to New Rochelle in 1960, while playing for the Giants. Mays and his family settled into a 15 room Normandy style mansion at 90 Croft Terrace, which he purcahsed for $75,000. According to a front page story in The New York Times, his Wykagyl neighbors gave Willie and his family an enthusiastic welcome. 

During his career, Willie Mays played for the Birmingham Black Barons (1948 - 1950), the New York Giants (1951 - 1957),  the San Francisco Giants (1958 - 1972) and the New York Mets (1972 - 1973). In 1979, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Game, and into the New Rochelle Walk of Fame in 2014. President Barack Obama presented Mays with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.