Wow, has it really been that long since my last entry? Recently underwent another surgery, so that’s kept me on the bench for a while. But in the days and weeks ahead, look for a bunch of Bookshelf Conversations and other news as I try to make up for lost time.
We begin with the death of Maury Wills, base-stealer part excellence for the Dodgers, along with some brief time on the Pittsburgh Pirate and Montreal Expos. After his playing days, Wills — who broke Ty Cobb’s single season swipes record with 104 in 1962, for which he won the NL MVP awards — managed the Seattle Mariners for a handful of games in 1980-81, posting a record of 26-56.
His selection as MVP reminded me of the current debate between Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge for the American League award. Many want to honor the man who broke Roger Maris’ AL home run mark of 61, set — poetically — 61 years ago. (And don’t get me started on all the hoopla over that.) But Ohtani became the first player to qualify to lead his league in both pitching and hitting categories. So who does the MVP go to the “best” player? In 1962, I would argue that Willie Mays, the MVP runner-up, was better than Wills. While the Dodger speedster had the more historic accomplishment, Mays led baseball with 49 homers, drive in 141, scored 130, and batted .304. And, a reminder, the Giants finished in first place that year. But Wills wound up with 209 points versus Mays’ 202.
But I digress…
Wills managed to parlay his 14-year career into three books:
- It Pays to Steal (1963, the obligatory cash-grab attempt after setting the record)
- How to Steal a Pennant (1976)
- On the Run: The Never Dull and Often Shocking Life of Maury Wills (1992)
Wills passed away on Sept. 19 at the age of 89. Here’s the New York Times obituary, by Richard Goldstein. And one from the Los Angeles Times.
is available on Amazon.com,
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