Willie Mays

willie mays (http://www.californiasportshalloffame.org ())

A hero is someone you look up to, someone who helps people who struggle, someone that is inspiring and is friendly to everyone. All these traits represent Willie Mays, the greatest baseball player and most inspiring person who has ever lived! He is an inspiring character.You may not think Willie Mays is an inspiring hero but I'll show you how much of a hero Willie Mays is.

As a child, he lived in Westfield Alabama with both of his parents who did not make a lot of money. He was an amazing ball player.  At the age of ten he was playing in a league of eighteen year olds and by the time he was fifteen he was playing professional ball with the Birmingham Black Barons. Willie Mays was a true ballplayer but he was a great person to anyone no matter the race. Living in Alabama was tough for Willie Mays as a child dealing with little food and not the best education. Nontheless, Willie Mays was still enjoying his life and trying to get as much education as he could. In High School he had some problems dealing with sports, since at this time he was playing for the Barons, he could not play any sports at the school. As a retired baseball player he lives in Atherton, California.

When joining the New York Giants he had to leave his family behind which made him and his family very upset, but he left anyway. After moving to San Fransisco he had a very difficult time, buying cars, houses and other things. The fans in San Fransisco didn't like him. They would always boo him when he came up to bat which didn't help Willie Mays' confidence, but he still struggled through.  Willie Mays had a tough time going through the problems living in San Fransisco especially when he was trying to buy a house. Willie Mays bought a house in a rich neighborhood with only white people people who disliked him so badly that they moved to a different neighborhood! It didn't matter for him, he still had fun playing ball every day and getting some appreciation from San Fransisco.

willie mays baseball card (http://www.1967toppsset.com ())

Willie Mays is my hero because he is an inspiring person; never giving up and always being positive even going through all the racism in baseball back when he was playing baseball. He always will be my hero because he's shaped the history of baseball being one of the greatest players in baseball and opening the gateway for other races too. One quote that was said about him: "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays." (Ted Williams)  That showed how much Willie Mays was appreciated. Willie Mays and I both play center field in baseball so that makes me want to be just as good as him someday. I will always look up to him because he makes the right choices in baseball and outside of baseball and has an amazing personality; amazing people every day in whatever he's doing.

Willie Mays is a true hero by achieving many awards that baseball players always wish for. When Willie Mays was going through some hard times in San Fransisco, he never gave up. Without Willie Mays I would not be the baseball player I am right now.