Top 25 Willie Mays Quotes

Words matter. These are the best Willie Mays Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.

People talk about that catch and, I've said this many t

People talk about that catch and, I’ve said this many times, that I’ve made better catches than that many times in regular season. But of course in my time, you didn’t have a lot of television during the regular season. A lot of people didn’t see me do a lot of things.
Willie Mays
In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without one-hundred percent dedication, you won’t be able to do this.
Willie Mays
I don’t compare ’em, I just catch ’em.
Willie Mays
Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.
Willie Mays
I was a baseball player, I taught baseball, and all of a sudden I was in the business world. Now I used the baseball world to talk about their product. Not too much, just enough to keep going. Just be yourself and you’ll never have a problem. That’s what I did.
Willie Mays
When I’m not hitting, I don’t hit nobody. But, when I’m hitting, I hit anybody.
Willie Mays
They throw the ball, I hit it. They hit the ball, I catch it.
Willie Mays
Maybe I was born to play ball. Maybe I truly was.
Willie Mays
I don’t mean to be bashful, but I was.
Willie Mays
Baseball is a game, yes. It is also a business. But what is most truly is is disguised combat. For all its gentility, its almost leisurely pace, baseball is violence under wraps.
Willie Mays
Every time I look at my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson.
Willie Mays
The greatest challenge I think is adjusting to not playing baseball. The reason for that is I had to come out of baseball and come into the business world, not being a college graduate, not being educated to come into the business world the way I should have.
Willie Mays
At ten I was playing against 18-year-old guys. At 15 I was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons, so I really came very quickly in all sports.
Willie Mays
And my father didn’t have money for me to go to college. And at that particular time they didn’t have black quarterbacks, and I don’t think I could have made it in basketball, because I was only 5′ 11″. So I just picked baseball.
Willie Mays
I think I was the best baseball player I ever saw.
Willie Mays
I was very blessed with a good body. Never got hurt. Never was in the hospital. The only time I was in the hospital was when I would get exhausted a little bit, and go in for a check-up or something.
Willie Mays
I didn’t say I was that smart, I said I went to class and I enjoyed what I was doing.
Willie Mays
Yes, I had to learn how to live life outside, but I had so many people help me.
Willie Mays
When I got to professional ball I used to play 150 games every year. It depends on how many games there was.
Willie Mays
When I was in Birmingham I used to go to a place called Redwood Field. I used to get there for a two o’clock game. Where can you make this kind of money playing sports? It was just a pleasure to go out and enjoy myself and get paid for it.
Willie Mays
I played with the Birmingham Black Barons. I was making 500 at 14. That was a lot of money in those days.
Willie Mays
I’m a very lucky guy. I had so many people help me over the years that I never had many problems. If I had a problem, I could sit down with someone and they would explain the problem to me, and the problem become like a baseball game.
Willie Mays
It’s not hard. When I’m not hitting, I don’t hit nobody. But when I’m hitting, I hit anybody.
Willie Mays
If you can do that – if you run, hit, run the bases, hit with power, field, throw and do all other things that are part of the game – then you’re a good ballplayer.
Willie Mays
Robinson was important to all blacks. To make it into the majors and to take all the name calling, he had to be something special. He had to take all this for years, not just for Jackie Robinson, but for the nation.
Willie Mays