Willie Mays Quotes

All it takes to play baseball is a strong arm, good speed, and the coordination to hit the ball. That's it.

There's nothing to it. Baseball isn't that tough to play.

What sets baseball apart from other sports is the array of skills that every player needs: the speed, the power, the agility.

The first good player I watched as a kid was Joe DiMaggio, and that was like ballet. Since then, I played sandlot and college ball and came to understand how difficult it can be.

There are only five things you can do in baseball - run, throw, catch, hit and hit with power.

My father was a really good athlete, so his pop-ups really were sky high. Eventually I learned how to judge them properly and catch them well. It was great training for when I started to play on teams, which I did all through school.

I think baseball is a very fine game, and you have to enjoy it. You have to go out there and have fun.

It's the same game. It's baseball. National League, American League. It's baseball. I just come here and try to do my thing. Do my work and help the team to win.

The fall of 1912 my fielding was above the average, but my hitting was not so good. However, I was the talk of the town because of my peculiar way of catching a fly ball. They later named it the Vest-Pocket Catch.

When I was real young I wanted to play baseball. I really loved playing center field, but that was never anything I was really ever that good at. I played up until I was in ninth grade.

I was born to play baseball.

It's fun; baseball's fun.

My dad introduced me to baseball. Then one of my friends asked if I could play on a team; my dad said I could, and I just fell in love with the game.

I came from Long Island, so I had a lot of experience at the stick. I played in junior high school, then I played in high school. The technical aspect of the game was my forte. I had all that experience, then I had strength and I was in good condition.

It doesn't matter what the scoreboard says. I'm always having fun, talking to other guys. They even come to first base and ask me about hitting. I try to help them out as much as I can in the 30 seconds before the pitcher throws the next pitch. That's me. I don't think I will ever change that.

I was not successful as a ball player, as it was a game of skill.

I was a very good baseball player and football player as a kid.

I never want to sit out. I want to play baseball games.

Defense to me is the key to playing baseball.

I just loved to play. I liked to study the other ballplayers. I could talk about it for ages, because I played professional ball for 20 years, and I was still learning when I quit.

I had a great time with baseball growing up. I was lucky to grow up with it and to learn.

Baseball is a team sport played by individuals for themselves.

I've played the outfield my whole life. It's like riding a bike.

I don't mind walking guys as long as I don't give up runs.

I love the game of baseball. Like I love playing, I'm just not good at - I don't enjoy the media part of it. I don't enjoy all the different aspects that come with it, like the business side of it.