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. When arguments for McGees innocence reached a national and international fever pitch in 1950 and 1951, Rosalee spoke across the United States to win him clemency and sound a warning call to disenfranchised Americans everywhere. Willie Dean McGee (born November 2, 1958) is an American professional baseball coach and former outfielder who is an assistant coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Those numbers are even more impressive considering he is only 5-foot-5 and 160 pounds. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'baseballscouter_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-baseballscouter_com-banner-1-0');Robert William Hamilton was a lifetime .344 average hitter who stole 914 bases over his career a record which stood for 80 years with the Kansas City Cowboys, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Beaneaters. willie mcgee products for sale | eBay Just a noteJack Clark,Terry Pendleton & Vince Coleman were NOT members of the 1982 World Series team. Born: Nov. 27, 1992 (San Diego, California), Career highlights: All-Star Futures Game (2015), MLB draft No. He set the single-game steals target for Rickey Henderson a hundred years later, with 7. We are reader supported. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. All these years later, McGees family continues to mourn his life and confront the impact of the tragic and undoubtedly unjust circumstances surrounding his death. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. Willie McGee was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 7th round of the 1976 MLB June Amateur Draft from Ells HS (Richmond, CA) and the New York Yankees in the 1st round (15th) of the 1977 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, CA). They were members of a team that won the 1985 World Series and will forever be known as the implementers of hit and run baseball. Gardner, who has been clocked at 3.5 seconds from home plate to first base, also has incredible discipline at the plate that helps him take advantage of his speed. His jump on fly balls is 3.8 feet ahead of the league average for all outfielders. The third verdict was affirmed by the State Supreme Court. Willie McGee - Pro-Football-Reference.com Today, we continue to witness this dual reality: violence visited upon Black and Brown bodies terrorizes not just individuals but entire families and communities. Lottie Gordon, the Secretary of the CRCs Prisoner Relief Committee, explained in a letter to Willie McGee that through your wife we can arouse the kind of sympathy and help that you deserve.. Samuel's career could have gone much better if he'd figured out how to take on some pitches. Which is all kinds of fast. At the time of McGees electrocution, news outlets across the United States, Europe and Asia covered what was dubbed a legal lynching., In life and in death, Willie McGee assumed a newfound function as an icon of southern injustice. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and 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). Willie McGee - Wikipedia The Cardinals made the trade on the recommendation of Smith, a Cardinals scout, who watched McGee play for the Yankees' Nashville farm club and liked what he saw. The list considers stolen bases and runs scored two statistical barometers of speed plus overall talent, quickness, agility and athleticism. Glad he was able to shake the Willie McRoids nickname: Tim Raines showed off his elite speed in high school on the baseball field, but more so on the football field as one of the most sought-after running back recruits in the nation. While we loved Curtis Granderson for his speed, it should also be pointed out that he is widely regarded as one of the kindest, most giving players in MLB history. When Willie McGee was executed by the state of Mississippi in 1951, his loss was felt deeply by progressives and leftists who spent years trying to exonerate him. Willie McGee was born in New Orleans, LA. We use cookies to optimize our website and our service. Free shipping for many products! Now, all of us know what happened in that 1985 year, "the call" during the I-70 World . Dave Collins, Rickey Henderson, they were fast. Many of the stories about Mickey Mantle's speed seem like urban legends at this point. He kept it up in his next at-bat; he kept it up all day. Wills, who was also a football star at Washington, D.C.'s Cardozo High, is largely credited with bringing the stolen base back into the majors as a viable way to win games. Willie works at Clopay Building Products as Warehouse Associate. The batter stole first base on an 0-1 count when the pitched ball sailed straight to the backstop. in the hopes of halting McGees execution. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Willie is based out of Greater Madison Area and works in the Wholesale Building Materials industry. High School. , .avia-section.av-k6v62xgq-c0812a68936ee67ed4883eaa9d35be9b{ Jaclyn Nolan is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Georgia in the Department of Communication Studies with a Ph.D from the University of Kansas. 1985 National League MVP who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series in 1982. Till insisted her brutally slain sons funeral in the Mississippi Delta be open casket, effectively forcing Americans to not look away once more. Teams: Kansas City Royals (1976-90), Oakland Athletics (1991-92), Chicago Cubs (1993-94), Career highlights: World Series champion (1985), two-time All-Star (1982, 1983), Gold Glove Award (1980), two-time Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1982). I am a life-long Cardinals' fan from the west side (of MO). When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Well, Willie never met a pitch he didn't like. As famed civil rights reporter, : The first verdict was reversed by the State Supreme Court and a change of venue was granted because of local public feeling. The Mississippi Supreme Court again overturned the decision and returned the case to the lower court because African Americans had been excluded from the jury pool. But it's also easy to see he wasn't even appreciated in his own time. Who would he join in this immortal realm? Henderson, who led the AL in stolen bases 12 times, played in the majors until he was almost 45 years old and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. Bridgette McGee-Robinson Digs For The Truth About Willie McGee : NPR He also holds one of the cooler stathead records of all time he recorded the most stolen bases (50) with the fewest at-bats (263) in MLB history in 1990 with the Montreal Expos. (Not to be confused with todays Billy Hamilton). Willie McGee weighed 179 lbs (81 kg) when playing. 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). The state Supreme Court upheld this decision, and the US Supreme Court rejected several appeals over the next three years. Designed and Maintained by Mick Lite, ABS System Will Debut In Memphis This Week, Cliffhanger Getting Sequel 30 Years Later. Willie McGee - 1987 Donruss Autographed Baseball card # 84 - Cardinals Carl Crawford's elite speed was easy to see early. Career highlights: Seven-time World Series champion (1951-53, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962), three-time American League MVP (1956, 1957, 1962), 20-time All-Star (1952-65, 1967, 1968), Triple Crown (1956), Gold Glove Award (1962), MLB All-Century Team. In 1958, Gracie Lee Curtis, just 22 years of age, died from a gunshot wound after attempting to break up a fight. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. All Rights Reserved. All are astronomical numbers, placing Henderson in a league of his own in terms of speed. 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. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Willie McGee had a .295 average over his career. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. He also had a career-high 56 stolen bases in his MVP year and finished his career with 352 stolen bases. 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. Many thanks to him. The United States Supreme Court refused to review it.. But we do know the one metric that seems to have stuck with him is that he was once timed at 3.1 seconds from home plate to first base. . Willie McGee - Society for American Baseball Research Outside Mississippi, one thousand Chevrolet workers in Flint, Michigan, held a prayer meeting for McGee; in addition, thousands of black workers from the docks of New Orleans, the meatpacking plants of Chicago, and the clothing factories of New York organized mass protests, engaged in work stoppages, and donated money to the campaign to Save Willie McGee. In France, Jean Cocteau, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Richard Wright organized a demonstration on McGees behalf, and various foreign governments sent letters of protest to Pres. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Free shipping for many products! 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. Fifty witnesses watched as McGee was strapped down and killed in an electric chair placed in front of the jury box, while five hundred white men, women, and children celebrated on the courthouse lawn. Find out more. Willie McGee was no one special; he was a husband, father, son, and citizen. 21 overall pick (2014). The CRC also arranged for delegations of supporters to travel to Mississippi to lobby the governor and flooded the offices of other state officials with petitions demanding justice. Former teammate once said Bell was so fast he could flip his rooms light switch and be in bed before the light went out. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. In July 2019, an Atlantic League player became the first professional baseball player to steal first base under a new introduced just days prior. Buxton was picked by the Minnesota Twins with the No. Now, all of us know what happened in that 1985 year, the call during the I-70 World Series. Part-timer Lonnie Smith stole 12, and so on down the line.. 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. Fastest Players in MLB History | Stadium Talk Willie Dean McGee was born in San Francisco, California, on November 2, 1958. Alex Heard, whose 2010 book , recounted the case in detail, remarked: Somewhere along the line, it stopped being only about verifiable facts. Honorable Mentions: Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Kenny Lofton, Willie McGee, Dee Gordon, Ichiro Suzuki, Otis Nixon. Fifty witnesses watched as McGee was strapped down and killed in an electric chair placed in front of the [] A four-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover, two-time batting champion and 1985 National League MVP, McGee is one of the most decorated players in Cardinals history. Contributions to the American space program. He then signed with the Giants in December of 1990, and spent 5 years there, until he signed with the Red Sox in 1995. In the case of McGee, an unjust legal system motivated to protect white womanhood cost him his life. . Baseballscouter.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Willie McGee to step down as St. Vincent-St. Mary Athletic Director He spent one season at Gulf Coast Community College and stole 51 bases in 54 attempts before being drafted by the Royals in the 20th round in 2011. Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, CA). "You put your head down and you look up and it's been 10 years. It has been written that during his final year with the Cardinals, Willie received a standing ovation every time he came to the plate. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. He was traded to Oakland at the end of August 1990, around the same time Whitey Herzog left the Cardinals. October 3, 1999 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. If you wanted someone to come off the bench, even late in his career, Willie was your man. Willie McGee was born on the 2nd of November, 1958. 51. Following the third trial, the CRC increased its efforts to build an international defense campaign on McGees behalf. There has been some talk about retiring McGees number, 51, for the Cards. As famed civil rights reporter John Popham wrote in The New York Times: The first verdict was reversed by the State Supreme Court and a change of venue was granted because of local public feeling. The third verdict was affirmed by the State Supreme Court. A second trial the following year was moved to Hattiesburg, but McGee was again found guilty after the jury deliberated for a mere eleven minutes. He ranks 10th all time in career stolen bases with 723, and is among the list of most runs scored with 1,739. Phone: 602.496.1460 Or write about sports? William George Fastie - Wikipedia (Age 23-189d, In most recent history, a couple of different players come to mind. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. Mickey Rivers, he was fast. When you get the nickname "Zoom," well, you must be fast. The bulk of Laurels white citizenry argued that the far-left intervention into McGees case amounted to politically motivated outside influence; critics charged the CRC with using Willie McGee in order to peddle their communist politics and ultimately embarrass the United States on the world stage. Born: June 11, 1983 (Villa Gonzalez, Santiago, Dominican Republic), Teams: New York Mets (2003-11, 2016-18), Miami Marlins (2012), Toronto Blue Jays (2013-15), Colorado Rockies (2015), Career highlights: Four-time All-Star (2006, 2007, 2010, 2011), Silver Slugger Award (2006), National League batting champion (2011). (2000-07-14) (aged 83) Baltimore [1] Occupation. I am a middle school teacher by day, and a mom at night. in San Francisco, CA This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. No, Willie McGee was never the homerun machine. His running style? Teams: Kansas City Royals (1986-90), Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993), California Angels (1994), Career highlights: MLB All-Star Game MVP (1989), All-Star (1989). Lofton played for a whopping 10 teams in 17 MLB seasons, including three different stints with the Cleveland Indians. When Willie McGee was jailed, it was his mother Bessie McGee who first reached out to the Civil Rights Congress desperate to help her son. 1985 was probably Willie's 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). Willie McGee - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Tuesday, May 2, 3:49AM. Willie McGee was born on Sunday, November 2, 1958, in San Francisco, California. Trout has been destined for the Hall of Fame since being called to the majors for good in 2012, becoming one of few players who could match Mantle in terms of slugging prowess and pure speed. I live in Kansas City, MO with my two kids. Harry S. Truman. Willie McGee returns to the Cardinals Major League coaching staff for his fifth season and is responsible for a variety of areas including outfield play, base running and hitting. McGee, 38, has served as the STVM athletic director for seven years. Given their commitment to exposing heinous but not uncommon cases of Jim Crow injustice, the CRC considered McGees case as prime organizing fodder for spreading its message of Black freedom and human rights. In 1955, Mamie Till, mother of Emmett Till, assumed a critical role in advocating for her son at the trial of his perpetrators and in public spaces beyond the specifics of his case. Ichiro set the single-season MLB record with 262 hits in 2004 and is the only player in MLB history with 10 consecutive seasons of 200-plus hits. Raines was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Willie McGee - Assistant Coach | St. Louis Cardinals - MLB vs. CIN 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: REGISTRATION OPEN FOR 18TH ANNUAL CARDINALS KIDS CLINICS, http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2005-02-23/news/willie-mcgee-denies-ever-using-steroids/. Had the forces of white supremacy not intersected with Willie McGee so spectacularly, perhaps there would be a different story to tell. We present them here for purely educational purposes. To contact Jaclyn, email her at. The Mississippi Free Press is a project of the Mississippi Journalism and Education Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit journalism organization (EIN 85-1403937). 6/23/84: Willie McGee becomes the first Cardinals player since Lou Brock in 1975 to hit for the cycleCheck out http://MLB.com/video for more!About MLB.com: F. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. Hochman: On Willie McGee's birthday, 51 reasons St. Louis - STLtoday He could have easily played in the NFL as well. Tickets. The day prior to his electrocution, Wright reportedly received as many as 800 telegrams and tens of thousands of messages., McGees case captured the nations attention as he had gone through three trials and three convictions between 1945 and 1951. Dee Strange-Gordon's dad may have actually gotten the nickname that was more appropriate for his son. Coleman, the National League Rookie of the Year in 1985, led the NL in stolen bases six times and stole over 100 bases in each of his first three seasons. Seller information. This MFP Voices essay does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. Born: 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 American League in stolen bases six times, and his .357 career batting average is still the MLB record. At The Ballpark: Shannon Stewart, Willie McGee, and machismo at the He is set to begin work as a We Are Family Coach with the LeBron James Family Foundation on Aug. 1. 2 overall pick in the 2012 MLB draft and looks poised for a breakout season in 2021 after batting .254 with 13 home runs and 27 RBI in the shortened 2020 season. That, to me, was a fitting tribute to a great Cardinal. What was the best thing about Willie McGee? Founded in 1946, the CRC was composed of former far-left civil rights organizations including the, In many ways the case of Willie McGee is shrouded in mystery. I thought he (Mantle) was the fastest in my time. William Faulkner, Albert Einstein, Josephine Baker, Jessica Mitford, Norman Mailer, Richard Wright and Frida Kahlo all weighed in on McGees plight. May 8, 2021, was the 70th anniversary of the electrocution of Willie McGee in Mississippis traveling electric chair, a grim milestone in the history of civil rights in Mississippi. More recently, Ive had the opportunity to speak with Bridgette about her grandfathers case and her role as the family historian.. Phoenix, AZ 85004 Baseball is an obscure sport in Paulo Orlando's native Brazil one abandoned by most boys at a young age to focus on soccer. Coming out of Houston's Jefferson Davis High, he had scholarship offers to play point guard at UCLA and be an option quarterback at Nebraska, USC, Oklahoma and Florida. 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. 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. Not all MLB players were timed in a 90-foot dash (the distance between bases).if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'baseballscouter_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-baseballscouter_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Plus, speed is not judged on base-stealing alone. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936, Cobb is firmly entrenched in Americana lore for his life and career. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'baseballscouter_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-baseballscouter_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');Ranking 5th all-time with 808 stolen bases, Raines may have stolen more if he had not shifted to more of an offensive threat later in his career. McGee did begin and end his career as a Cardinal, and were all sure glad he did. A CRC-sponsored rally at the State Capitol ended in the arrests of more than forty protesters. is but one example. While these events are clearly specific to the McGee family, the upending of Black families by the structures of white supremacy is not. Cardinals center fielder all-time ranking - MLB The Eyes of Willie McGee - HarperCollins Born: Aug. 24, 1983 (Holy Hill, South Carolina), Career highlights: World Series champion (2015), All-Star (2015), Gold Glove Award (2016), three-time Fielding Bible Award winner (2010, 2011, 2017). Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19 Project. 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). Former major leaguer and St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite Willie McGee was in Sauget Friday to help the Gateway Grizzlies open their 2016 Frontier League season. Before Trout even made it to the majors, some baseball insiders said he would be the fastest player in the MLB. Consistency can carry you far. November 2, 1958 McGee was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 10, 1982, with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 64-year-old baseball player was born in San . He continually ranks among the American League's leaders in pitches seen per at-bat. He grew up in the Bay Area town of Richmond. The US Department of State closely monitored world reaction to the case, and the 1952 Republican nominee for vice president, Richard Nixon, recounted that while traveling in Switzerland his car had been pasted with bumper stickers protesting the legalized lynching of Willie McGee. Nixon complained that the incident provided evidence that southern racism undermined the American case for democracy.