Willie Weinbaum
The late, great Willie Mays, born 95 yrs. ago Wed. (5/6/31), told ESPN in 1997 about his road from the Negro Leagues to MLB: "Being Black, trying to get to the majors, I had to be, I'd say, 3 or 4 times better than maybe the whites." Red Sox scout George Digby told us he recommended him in 1949: "I said this would be a helluva player to break the (Boston's) color line." Another scout recommended him to the Yankees in '49. Neither team integrated for years. Mays signed with the Giants in '50.
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May 6, 2026, 06:36 AM
