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Willie Mays' Major League Baseball career started in the Negro Leagues with the Chattanooga Choo-Choos and the Birmingham Black Barons before joining the New York Giants at centerfield in 1951, and becoming the NL Rookie of the Year. After serving in the military for most of the 1952-1953 seasons, Mays made a triumphant return to baseball to lead the league with a .345 batting average and winning the National League MVP and the World Series in 1954.

Nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", Mays was one of greatest all around players baseball has ever seen. He finished his career batting over .300 (.303 lifetime), 12 Gold Glove Awards, winning his second NL MVP award in 1965, fifth all-time in career home runs (660), lead the league 4 times in both home runs and stolen bases, and one of only three players to record over 3000 career hits and 500 home runs.

Mays was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of eligibility.