What It Takes®

Willie Mays: For the Love of the Game_In Memoriam


Listen Later

We invite you to honor and celebrate the great Willie Mays, who died this week at the age of 93, by taking a listen to the stories he told about his life on this episode. It was one of the first episodes of "What It Takes," and it remains one of our all-time favorites:

Baseball fans may argue to this day about which was the best of Willie Mays’ many spectacular catches, but nearly all agree — he was one of the most versatile, virtuosic players of all time. In this episode, featuring an intimate interview with Mays recorded in 1996, the Hall-of-Famer talks about growing up in segregated Alabama, and winning over racist baseball fans soon after he became the first African-American player on his team. He recalls the day he got the call to move up to the majors, and describes in delightful terms how he never had to actually work at being a great athlete. He also talks about the catch he swears was better than “The Catch.” Hearing his voice, you’re reminded why Willie Mays was one of America’s most beloved baseball players, as well as one of its greatest. (c ) American Academy of Achievement 2015-2024

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

What It Takes®By Academy of Achievement

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

931 ratings


More shows like What It Takes®

View all
On Being with Krista Tippett by On Being Studios

On Being with Krista Tippett

10,059 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

37,904 Listeners

The New Yorker: Fiction by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Fiction

3,327 Listeners

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry by David Naimon, Tin House Books

Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry

439 Listeners

The New Yorker: Poetry by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker: Poetry

515 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,343 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,668 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,293 Listeners

The FRONTLINE Dispatch by GBH

The FRONTLINE Dispatch

1,066 Listeners

The Bob Lefsetz Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

405 Listeners

City Arts & Lectures by City Arts & Lectures

City Arts & Lectures

386 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

14,859 Listeners

For the Ages: A History Podcast by The New York Historical

For the Ages: A History Podcast

358 Listeners

Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin by Rick Rubin

Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin

956 Listeners

The New York Times Narrated by The New York Times

The New York Times Narrated

17 Listeners