"The Giants were 17-19, in 5th place, on May 25, the day Willie Mays joined the team at Shibe Park.
Durocher immediately installed the 20-year-old in center.
The Giants won all 3 of the games, though Mays was hitless in his first 12 at-bats.
Despite his batting woes, when the team returned to the Polo Grounds, Mays’ 1st home game saw him
batting 3rd against the Boston Braves & their star southpaw Warren Spahn.
In his first at-bat, he hit Spahn’s offering atop the left-field roof for a homer, his 1st major-league hit.
After the homer, Mays went on a 0-for-13 slide, leaving him hitting .038 (1-for-26).
At this point, in an often-told story, Mays sat in front of his locker, crying, after taking the collar again.
Coaches Freddie Fitzsimmons & Herman Franks sent for Durocher. Mays again said he couldn’t hit big-league pitching.
Durocher replied, “As long as I’m the manager of the Giants, you are my center fielder.
You are the best center fielder I’ve ever looked at.”
Then he told Mays to hitch up his pants more to give himself a more favorable strike zone; he proceeded to go on a 14-for-33 tear.
For a 20-year-old from the Deep South, living in Manhattan could have been overwhelming.
The Giants took good care of him, setting him up in the Harlem rooming house of David & Anna Goosby
at St. Nicholas Ave & 155th St, not far from the Polo Grounds.
Mays, still very much a big kid, ate many meals there, & Anna washed his clothes.
Neighbors often waited outside for him to arrive home.
His stickball-playing reputation was forged in those early days.
In fact, the games were followed by a trip to the soda shop – Mays’ treat.
As Hinckley wrote, this was not some publicity stunt; he actually played.
On August 30, 1951, Mays hit 2 home runs in 1 game against the Pirates at the Polo Grounds, and then
homered in a stickball game later that day." -
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