WHITESTONE, NY – In the NBA everyone wants to be like Mike, as in Michael Jordan. Over in the MLB everyone wants to be like Mays. The problem with being like Willie Mays is not one of these players that portray themselves as Major Leaguers don’t look in the mirror too often.
It’s not about the sub .220 batting average or the high strikeout ratio that these players produce, it’s the Man in the Mirror they need to find. They need to take a deep look within themselves and realize that not only are they insulting the game, but they’re also insulting themselves.
When did Willie Mays ever do a dance at first base after getting a single with his team down 7 runs? How many times did Willie Mays look up in the sky, do the sign of the cross and then point up? When did you see Willie Mays reach into his back pocket for an instruction card on where to play an opposing batter? Should I mention that the card was created by some geek that never played the game of baseball?
When did you see Willie Mays wear neon colors on his Giants uniform or footwear that screamed, “Look at me?!” Finally I’ll end it with, when did Willie Mays ever not interact with the fans that supported him?
Picture Aaron Judge walking the streets of the South Bronx and doing something strange, like gathering a group of kids for a stickball game or Giancarlo Stanton leading the youngsters into a nearby Carvel and treating them to ice cream.
Maybe then one of them could say, I wanna be like Mays. Willie Mays on the field was Superman, Willie Mays off the field was a man’s man.
MLB needs to hire one Vanity Coach for every team. The coach will hand out handheld mirrors to every sensitive baby, I mean player, on the roster so they can stare at themselves and do some soul searching, whenever they think they want to be like Mays!
