McGee celebrates a birthday today born Nov. 2, 1958 so here are 51 reasons St. Louis loves No. var cid='3035317757';var pid='ca-pub-5507458519664785';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-baseballscouter_com-medrectangle-3-0';var ffid=1;var alS=1021%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.style.maxHeight=container.style.minHeight+'px';container.style.maxWidth=container.style.minWidth+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true});The stolen base can be among the most-exciting plays in a Major League Baseball game. Mississippi Journalism and Education Group is a a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization (EIN 85-1403937) for the state, devoted to going beyond partisanship and publishing solutions journalism for the Magnolia State and all of its people. The Mississippi Free Press is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) focused on telling stories that center all Mississippians. In the majors, it seemed like we got our best glimpses at his speed when he was playing in the outfield and not on the basepaths, which was mainly because Jackson was a power hitter. In summary, Willie McGee looked like a man with 300-year-old joints running downhill in a hailstorm. That frustration and disappointment was expressed in poetry and in taking to the streets to avenge him. 'Legal Lynching' of Willie McGee in Mississippi's Traveling Electric Chair FOCUS: 2022 Elections Housing & Evictions #MSWelfare Scandal Jackson Water Abortion Race & Racism Policing Incarceration. Called Sliding Billy, he led the National League in stolen bases 5 times, topped 100 SBs 4 times, and set standards in the 1898 season when he batted over .400 and set the league record for runs scored with 198. I am Nic, and to say I love baseball is a great understatement. The only contemporary to come close to challenging Henderson for base-stealing superiority (at least for a few years), Coleman logged 110 stolen bases one season, eclipsed only by The Rickeys MLB record of 130. 14,591st in major league history) If you wanted someone to come off the bench, even late in his career, Willie was your man. McGee, 38, has served as the STVM athletic director for seven years. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. 1. Fastest Players in MLB History | Stadium Talk Willie McGee has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. The 1951 electrocution set in motion a series of tragic events. In the outfield, Kiermaier's ability to rob home runs has become his calling card, and he's already a three-time Gold Glove Award winner. Kenny Lofton was a freak athlete. The most successful combine skills in reading pitchers, getting proper leads and jumps, and of course speed. 21 overall pick (2014). Willie McGee on Cardinals, coaching and his career - MLB Born: March 16, 1981 (Blue Island, Illinois), Teams: Detroit Tigers (2004-09), New York Yankees (2010-13), New York Mets (2014-17), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2018), Milwaukee Brewers (2018), Miami Marlins (2019), Career highlights: Three-time All-Star (2009, 2011, 2012), Silver Slugger Award (2011), Roberto Clemente Award (2016). The Eyes of Willie Mcgee: A Tragedy of Race, Sex, and Secrets in the Born: Dec. 9, 1960 (San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic), Teams: Philadelphia Phillies (1983-89), New York Mets (1989), Los Angeles Dodgers (1990-92), Kansas City Royals (1992, 1995), Cincinnati Reds (1993), Detroit Tigers (1994-95), Toronto Blue Jays (1996-98), Career highlights: Three-time All-Star (1984, 1987, 1991), Silver Slugger Award (1987). Man, I miss Willie McGee | ArchCity.Media It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. Do you have a sports website? Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. In most recent history, a couple of different players come to mind. McGee won Rawlings Gold Glove awards for defensive excellence in 1983, 1985 and 1986 and was a National League Silver Slugger recipient in 1985. . Willie is based out of Greater Madison Area and works in the Wholesale Building Materials industry. St. Louis SLAM Stays Undefeated Following Saturday Road Purina and St. Louis CITY SC Introduce New, Blues sign Loof to 3-year entry-level contract, Cardinals promote RHP Michael McGreevy to Memphis. He led the National League in strikeouts four times and averaged 136 strikeouts over 16 seasons. I first learned about Willie McGees story from a broadcast on National Public Radio, in which his granddaughter, Bridgette McGee-Robinson, narrated her Mississippi travels. But it's also easy to see he wasn't even appreciated in his own time. background-image:unset; Thanks for sharing your light-hearted article! , became an important part of Mississippi history just after midnight on May 8, 1951, in the same courtroom where he was condemned to death. Billy Hamiltons electric debut #SpeedKills #RunBillyRun pic.twitter.com/SV9jUCla8a. For all the attention Willie McGee attracted, his most ardent support came from an unlikely corner: the communist-affiliated Civil Rights Congress. Honorable Mentions: Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Kenny Lofton, Willie McGee, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, Otis Nixon. The case proved an embarrassment to the United States, which was growing increasingly concerned about its image abroad. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Cool Papa Bell has to get special consideration even though he only played in the Negro Leagues. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Many thanks to him. Dee Strange-Gordon was the premiere base stealer in the majors in the 2010s, leading all players with 330 steals, and made a little bit of history in 2015 when he became the first player to lead the National League in batting average and stolen bases since Jackie Robinson in 1949. The charges inflamed the town . @2013-2022 Arch City Media. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'baseballscouter_com-leader-1','ezslot_8',123,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-baseballscouter_com-leader-1-0');A precursor to Cobb, Wagner is more known for his hitting prowess and for being on the most-valued baseball card ever, but in his day he could fly. He led the National League in stolen bases four times, and his career lasted a whopping 24 seasons and stretched out over four different decades. View Willie Mcgee's email address (w*****@clopay***.com) and phone number. Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers (1959-66), Pittsburgh Pirates (1967-68), Montreal Expos (1969), Los Angeles Dodgers (1969-72), Career highlights: Three-time World Series champion (1959, 1963, 1965), National League MVP (1962), seven-time All-Star (1961-63, 1965, 1966), two-time Gold Glove Award winner (1961, 1962). To that end, Reyes led the National League in stolen bases three times and triples four times, and in 2005 and 2006, he led the NL in both categories. Willie McGee played for 4 teams; the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. The execution brought to an end an international campaign to free McGee on the grounds that his conviction was racist and grossly irregular. Willie McGee Net Worth. The second verdict was reversed by the United States Supreme Court on the ground that Negroes had been systematically excluded from Mississippi juries. In his first at-bat, Willie swung at every pitch to give him an LMQ of 1.000. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936, Cobb is firmly entrenched in Americana lore for his life and career. So we missed almost a decade of his prime while he was playing professional baseball in Japan. . May 8, 2021, was the 70th anniversary of the electrocution of Willie McGee in Mississippis. Teams: Kansas City Royals (2014-17, 2019), Chicago Cubs (2018), Los Angeles Dodgers (2020-present). Families depend on it. When you get the nickname "Zoom," well, you must be fast. Boston went on to win the game in extra innings, then took that series and the next, the World Series. The mark broke his previous basepaths record of 14.05 seconds on another inside-the-park home run. Do you have a blog? He starred in the Negro Leagues but failed to crack the majors once Jackie Robinson broke the color line in 1947. How tall is Willie McGee? Raines was one of the players who defined the majors in the 1980s. Just minutes after midnight on 8 May 1951, Willie McGee, an African American laborer, was executed in the Jones County courtroom where he had been convicted of raping a white woman more than five years earlier. The state Supreme Court upheld this decision, and the US Supreme Court rejected several appeals over the next three years. High School Sports; Akron East hires LeBron James' high school teammate Willie McGee as boys basketball coach. 13, 2015, 3:06 p.m. At The Ballpark: Shannon Stewart, Willie McGee, and machismo at the As many as 1,000 onlookers gathered at the Jones County Courthouse in Laurel for his electrocution for the alleged rape of white homemaker Willette Hawkins. We actually have some solid numbers on exactly how fast Orlando is because he was also a track star at one point. Akron East hires LeBron James' high school teammate Willie McGee as 1985 was probably Willies biggest season, as he was the NL MVP, finished first for the NL batting title (.353), NL hit leader (216), and the NL triples leader (18). Is Willie McGee in the Hall of Fame? Having the advantage of living in KC, you know I never hear the end of that one, but hey, what else have those fans got? , .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. It has been written that during his final year with the Cardinals, Willie received a standing ovation every time he came to the plate. . All rights reserved. In football, speed is essentially judged by how fast you can run in a straight line. He ranks 12th all-time in steals, and his speed was involved in every area of his overall play including hitting and rangy outfield play. Willie McGee was the fastest.. McGee did begin and end his career as a Cardinal, and were all sure glad he did. Free shipping for many products! He was traded to Oakland at the end of August 1990, around the same time Whitey Herzog left the Cardinals. Mantle had elite speed early in his career, in the 1950s, before leg injuries forced him to become known mainly as a fierce switch-hitting slugger. He ran extremely well, hitting triples and stealing bases back when the . The three-time American League MVP's first nickname is the one that tells the best story about his speed. The only time he didn't swing at a pitch is when Tony LaRussa gave him a take sign so a runner at first could try to steal second base. (Not to be confused with todays Billy Hamilton). Willie McGee's age is 64. He actually signed to play wide receiver for Mississippi State out of Taylorsville (Miss.) Willie McGee - Baseball-Reference.com Willie Dean McGee was born in San Francisco, California, on November 2, 1958. That, to me, was a fitting tribute to a great Cardinal. Born: April 22, 1990 (Fort Wayne, Indiana), Career highlights: Three-time Gold Glove Award winner (2015, 2016, 2019). Willie works at Clopay Building Products as Warehouse Associate. Well, Willie never met a pitch he didn't like. Carl Crawford's elite speed was easy to see early. Ozzie Smith stole 31, as did Tommy Herr, who got caught three times all season. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Heard quotes . McGee, who won National League MVP honors three years later in 1985, combined elite hitting ability and speed to rack up doubles and triples throughout his career. McGee was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 10, 1982, with the St. Louis Cardinals. McGee, for one, can't believe that it's been four decades since the biggest moment of his baseball career took place. Which is all kinds of fast. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. His jump on fly balls is 3.8 feet ahead of the league average for all outfielders. vs. CHC 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Rookie Status: Teams: Montreal Expos (1979-90, 2001), Chicago White Sox (1991-95), New York Yankees (1996-98), Oakland Athletics (1999), Baltimore Orioles (2001), Florida Marlins (2002), Career highlights: Two-time World Series champion (1996, 1998), seven-time All-Star (1981-87), Silver Slugger Award (1986), NL batting champion (1986). 10/3/99: Willie McGee is removed from his final Major League game and receives an ovation from the Cardinals crowdCheck out http://m.mlb.com/video for our fu. Watson, threw the switch. The case was barely noticed until Bella Abzug, a young New York labor lawyer, was hired to oversee Willie McGee's appeal. Meanwhile, all the world is his friend. As Cardinals fans, well, baseball fans, we all know that there are certain players in the history of every team that hold a special place in the fans hearts. He won two batting titles and was named Major League Baseball 's 1985 National League MVP. His storymuch like the names we encounter todayis one of ordinary humanity, names not of public record until their lives were cut short and too soon on the basis of unequal structures. 6 on the MLB career list. Only the likes of Ozzie, Schoendienst, The Man, Slaughter, Boyer, Dizzy Dean, Lou Brock, Whitey Herzog, Jackie Robinson (in all of baseball), Sutter, Bob Gibson, August Busch and Jack Buck. Following the third trial, the CRC increased its efforts to build an international defense campaign on McGees behalf. Willie McGee weighed 175 lbs (79 kg) when playing. vs. CIN 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: He's been clocked rounding the bases in a blazing 14.7 seconds and another time moving at 29.58 feet per second on the basepaths. It had become a ghost story, a malleable myth whose realities, lessons, and undercurrents varied tremendously, depending on the perspective of the teller., I first learned about Willie McGees story from a, , in which his granddaughter, Bridgette McGee-Robinson, narrated her Mississippi travels. Cardinals legend Willie McGee talks about career, coaching - KSDK Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1993 Topps Gold #435 Willie McGee Giants at the best online prices at eBay! The major league stolen base record-holder for many years until Maury Wills made the SB en vogue in the early 1960s, the Georgia Peach was known as much for his base-running antics and spikes-high slides than he was for getting more base hits than anyone else and toying with a .400 batting average year in, year out. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Losing Willie McGee became a symbol of the uphill battle Cold War civil rights . (2000-07-14) (aged 83) Baltimore [1] Occupation. Part-timer Lonnie Smith stole 12, and so on down the line.. How much did Willie McGee weigh when playing? 8:22 p.m. Willie's son Lukas is nailing his dad's signature vocal tone (if not quite his one-of-a-kind guitar-playing) in a solo take on one of Willie's most beautiful songs, "Angel Flying . He could have easily played in the NFL as well. Whether or not they indeed were (or are) the fastest is up for debate. Phoenix, AZ 85004 There are players who, though not. He also had a career-high 56 stolen bases in his MVP year and finished his career with 352 stolen bases. Alex Heard, whose 2010 book The Eyes of Willie McGee recounted the case in detail, remarked: Somewhere along the line, it stopped being only about verifiable facts. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Willie McGee - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges Seller information. With the financial aid of the CRCs Prisoner Relief Fund, she worked publicly and vociferously to indict a judicial system that protected southern white womanhood by legally lynching black men convicted of rape. On the other hand, the CRC and its supporters considered their work not just legitimate but necessary in the post-World War II landscape: By laying bare before a global audience the glaring inconsistencies between one United States that freed Europe from Nazi rule and another United States that continued to lynch its own, they sought to extend civil rights to the disenfranchised McGee and all citizens oppressed by issues of race, gender and class. Somehow, Wilson only made two All-Star teams. He is set to begin work as a We Are Family Coach with the LeBron James Family Foundation on Aug. 1. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. background-color:#ba3434; mavmil (21146) 100% positive feedback . Join our linker program. Died: July, 17, 1961 (age 74, Atlanta, Georgia), Teams: Detroit Tigers (1905-26), Philadelphia Athletics (1927-28), Career highlights: American League MVP (1911), Triple Crown (1909), 12-time American League batting champion (1907-15, 1917-19), MLB All-Century Team. Designed and Maintained by Mick Lite, ABS System Will Debut In Memphis This Week, Cliffhanger Getting Sequel 30 Years Later. Why not? The McGee trial heralded a new era in which "commies" and "yankee agitators" presumed to invade the South and threaten its long-held balance of racial coexistence characterized by one race ruling the other by fear, the other supporting its oppressor by its labor and exhausted acquiescence. The following information is provided for citations. http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2005-02-23/news/willie-mcgee-denies-ever-using-steroids/. Top 10 Fastest MLB Players Ever (With Videos) - Baseball Scouter He made $179.1 million in 15 seasons in the majors.