Dodger Great Maury Wills, Who Revived the Art of the Stolen Base, Dies at 89
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
September 21, 2022
Former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills is shown before Game 2 of baseball's NL Division Series between the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals in Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014. Maury Wills, who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win three World Series titles with his base-stealing prowess, has died. The team says Wills died Monday night, Sept. 19, 2022, in Sedona, Ariz. He was 89. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Share

 

LOS ANGELES — Maury Wills, who intimidated pitchers with his base-stealing prowess as a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers on three World Series championship teams, has died. He was 89.

Wills died Monday night at home in Sedona, Arizona, the team said Tuesday after being informed by family members. No cause of death was given.

Wills played on World Series title teams in 1959, ’63, and ’65 during his first eight seasons with the Dodgers. He also played for Pittsburgh and Montreal before returning to the Dodgers from 1969-72, when he retired.

During his 14-year career, Wills batted .281 with 2,134 hits and 586 stolen bases in 1,942 games.

Broke Ty Cobb’s Stolen Base Record

Wills broke Ty Cobb’s single-season record for stolen bases with his 97th swipe on Sept. 23, 1962. That season he became the first player to steal more than 100 bases.

The Dodgers honored Wills with a moment of silence before the opener of their doubleheader against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and showed his career highlights on the stadium video boards. The team will wear a patch in memory of Wills for the rest of this season.

Manager Dave Roberts, an outfielder during his 10-year MLB career, was moved to tears as he recalled Wills’ impact on him.

“He was a friend, a father, a mentor — all of the above for me, so this is a tough one for me,” he said. “He just kind of showed me to appreciate my craft, showed me how to be a big leaguer. He just loved to teach. I think a lot of where I get my excitement, my passion, my love for players is from Maury.”

Wills took an active role in Roberts’ playing tenure with the Dodgers. Roberts stole 42 bases in 2003.

“I remember during games when I played here he would come down from the suite and tell me I need to bunt or I need to do this,” Roberts said. “It just showed that he was in it with me. Even to this day, he would be there cheering for me, rooting for me.”

Wills had his own stint as a manager, guiding the Seattle Mariners from 1980-81, going 26-56 with a winning percentage of .317.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Maury Wills is safe at third as Ken Boyer of the St. Louis Cardinals takes the throw during the first inning in Los Angeles, Sept. 26, 1965. Wills helped the Dodgers win three World Series titles with his base-stealing prowess. (AP/FW)

1962: Wills Was NL MVP and All-Star MVP

He was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1962, the same year he was MVP of the All-Star Game played in his hometown of Washington, D.C.

Wills stayed at home with his family instead of at the team hotel for the All-Star Game. He arrived at the ballpark carrying a Dodgers bag and wearing a Dodgers shirt. However, the security guard wouldn’t let him in, saying he was too small to be a ballplayer.

Wills suggested the guard escort him to the NL clubhouse door, where he would wait while the guard asked the players to confirm his identity.

“So we walk down there and baseball players have a sick sense of humor, because when I stood in front of the door, with my Dodger shirt and duffel bag, and the man opened the door and said, ‘Anybody in here know this boy?’ and they all looked at me and said, ‘Never saw him before,” Wills told The Washington Post in 2015.

After the game, Wills left with his MVP trophy and showed it to the guard.

“He still didn’t believe me, he thought maybe I was carrying it for somebody,” Wills told the Post.

Wills led the NL in stolen bases from 1960-65, was a seven-time All-Star selection, and won Gold Glove Awards in 1961 and ’62.

He was credited with reviving the stolen base as a strategy. His speed made him a constant threat on the basepaths and he distracted pitchers even if he didn’t try to steal. He carefully studied pitchers and their pickoff moves when he wasn’t on base. When a pitcher’s throw drove him back to the bag, he became even more determined to steal.

Once, in a game against the New York Mets, Wills was on first base when pitcher Roger Craig threw 12 straight times to the bag. On Craig’s next throw, Wills stole second.

By age 32, Wills was bandaging his legs before games because of the punishment of sliding.

After retiring with the Dodgers in 1972, Wills worked an analyst at NBC for five years. He also managed winter ball in the Mexican Pacific League, winning a league championship in 1970-71.

Overcoming Addiction

Wills struggled with addictions to alcohol and cocaine until getting sober in 1989. He credited Dodgers pitching great Don Newcombe, who overcame his own alcohol problems, with helping him. Newcombe died in 2019.

“I’m standing here with the man who saved my life,” Wills said of Newcombe. “He was a channel for God’s love for me because he chased me all over Los Angeles trying to help me and I just couldn’t understand that. But he persevered, he wouldn’t give in and my life is wonderful today because of Don Newcombe.”

Born Maurice Morning Wills in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2, 1932, he was a three-sport standout at Cardozo Senior High. He earned All-City honors as a quarterback in football, in basketball, and as a pitcher in baseball when he was nicknamed Sonny.

In 1948, he played on the school’s undefeated football team, which never gave up any points. On the mound, Wills threw a one-hitter and struck out 17 in a game in 1950. The school’s baseball field is named in his honor.

Wills has his own museum in Fargo, North Dakota, where he was a coach and instructor for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks from 1996-97.

He is survived by his wife Carla, and children Barry, Micki, Bump, Anita, Susan Quam, and Wendi Jo Wills. Bump was a former major league second baseman who played for Texas and the Chicago Cubs.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

FresYes Fest Is Saturday: This Immigrant Is Living the American Dream With Xtreme Shawarma

DON'T MISS

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

DON'T MISS

3 Valley Schools Honored by State as Model Community Day Schools

DON'T MISS

Will FUSD Trustees Look First Only at Internal Candidates in Superintendent Search?

DON'T MISS

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

DON'T MISS

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

DON'T MISS

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

DON'T MISS

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

DON'T MISS

Bredefeld, Chavez Win Attorneys Fees from Fresno County. Court Gives Chavez Blvd. a Green Light.

DON'T MISS

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

No data was found

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

6 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

bitwise /

6 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

environment /

8 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

9 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

9 hours ago

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

9 hours ago

Trump: Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’, There’ll Be a ‘Bloodbath’ if I Lose

10 hours ago

Tech Lawyer and Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Rumored as RFK Jr.’s VP Pick

news /

10 hours ago

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

10 hours ago

Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as Consumers Cut Back on Pandemic-Era Hobbies

11 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

■Valley Children’s paid CEO Todd Suntrapak $5.2 million in 2021. The hospital also gave him a $5 million forgivable home loan. ■The Va...
Healthcare /

5 hours ago

3 days ago

Realtor Association Settles Lawsuit on Commission Rules. Fresno Broker Fears the End of Market Transparency

3 days ago

Prosecutor Leaves Georgia Election Case Against Trump After Relationship With District Attorney

3 days ago

Rory McIlroy’s 65: 10 Birdies, 2 Tee Shots in the Water, 1 Testy Dispute

3 days ago

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

3 days ago

New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man

3 days ago

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

3 days ago

India’s New Citizenship Law Excludes Muslims. Here’s What to Know

3 days ago

US, G-7 Allies Warn Iran to Back Off Deal to Provide Russia Ballistic Missiles or Face New Sanctions

Photo of San Francisco 49ers' Arik Armstead

4 days ago

Former 49ers DT Arik Armstead Agrees to a 3-Year, $51 Million Deal with the Jaguars, AP Source Says

4 days ago

Supreme Court Rules Public Officials Can Sometimes Be Sued for Blocking Critics on Social Media

Search