Willie Howard Mays, Jr., also known by his nickname “The Say Hey Kid”, was born on the 6th May 1931 in Westfield, Alabama, USA, and is remembered as a now-retired professional baseball player, who played in the position of center fielder in the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York and San Francisco Giants, from 1951 to 1973. He is also recognized for being the Special Assistant to the President of the San Francisco Giants.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Willie Mays is? It has been estimated by sources that Mays’ net worth is over $3 million, as of mid 2016. This amount of money is coming from his successful involvement into the sports industry, not only as a professional MLB player, but also as a sports assistant. Another source is coming from sales of his autobiographical book entitled “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend” (2010).
Willie Mays Net Worth $3 Million
Willie Mays is the son of Annie Satterwhite, who was a champion high school sprinter, and Willie Mays, Sr., who was known as a semi-pro baseball player. When he was a child, his parents divorced, so he was raised by his two aunts. He attended Fairfield Industrial High School, where he excelled in playing several sports – football, baseball and basketball. Before matriculation in 1950, he began playing baseball for the Chattanooga Choo-Choos in Tennessee, and later transferred to play in the professional Negro Leagues, for the Birmingham Black Barons team.
In no time, Mays’ professional career began, when he reached Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1951, by joining the New York Giants for which he played until 1972, but team moved and changed its name in 1958 to the San Francisco Giants. During his stint with the Giants, Mays’ net worth increased to a large degree, thanks to the high-paid contracts he signed over the years, which were result of his great performances.
Mays has numerous recognitions and awards to his name, and as a member of the team during his 21 year long career with the Giants. He has 24 All-Star appearances from 1954 to 1972, and he was the World Series Champion in 1954. Furthermore, he was two times the NL MVP in 1954 and 1965, and he won a joint record 12 Gold Glove Awards, consecutively from 1957 until 1968. Mays was also named the MLB All-Star Game MVP twice, in 1963, and 1968, and he received the Roberto Clemente Award in 1971.
Subsequently, Mays was traded to the New York Mets, since the Giants were near bankruptcy and Mays was worried for his future, who also offered him a coaching position after he decided to retire as a player. Nevertheless, he retired the following season, and worked as a hitting instructor for six years, which also added a lot to the overall size of his net worth.
Thanks to his skills, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1979. In 1986 he became the Special Assistant to the President of the San Francisco Giants, and has been working in that position ever since, increasing further his total net worth.
When it comes to his personal life, Willie Mays was married to Marghuerite Wendell Chapman from 1956; the couple adopted a son in 1959, but three years later they divorced. Soon after, he married Mae Louise Allen, and they were together until her death from Alzheimer’s disease in 2013. His current residence is in Atherton, California. In spare time, he is active working with charities, such as the Help Young America campaign.
