24, Willie Mays
24, Willie Mays
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

24
Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid

Author: Willie Mays, John Shea, Bob Costas

Narrator: Bob Costas, Julian McWilliams, Larry Herron

Unabridged: 11 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/12/2020


Synopsis

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The legendary Willie Mays shares the inspirations and influences responsible for guiding him on and off the field in this reflective and inspirational memoir.

"Even if, like me, you thought you had pretty much read and heard all there was to read and hear about Willie Mays, this warmhearted book will inform and reward you. And besides, what true baseball fan can ever get enough of Willie Mays? Say Hey! Read on and enjoy."—From the Foreword by Bob Costas

"It’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for President.” — President Barack Obama

This program includes a bonus conversation between the authors

Widely regarded as the greatest all-around player in baseball history because of his unparalleled hitting, defense and baserunning, the beloved Willie Mays offers people of all ages his lifetime of experience meeting challenges with positivity, integrity and triumph in 24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid.

Presented in 24 chapters to correspond with his universally recognized uniform number, Willie’s memoir provides more than the story of his role in America’s pastime. This is the story of a man who values family and community, engages in charitable causes especially involving children and follows a philosophy that encourages hope, hard work and the fulfillment of dreams.

“I was very lucky when I was a child. My family took care of me and made sure I was in early at night. I didn’t get in trouble. My father made sure that I didn’t do the wrong thing. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for children and their well-being, and John Shea and I got the idea that we should do something for the kids and the fathers and the mothers, and that’s why this book is being published. We want to reach out to all generations and backgrounds. Hopefully, these stories and lessons will inspire people in a positive way.”— Willie Mays

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

About Willie Mays

WILLIE MAYS, nicknamed "The Say Hey Kid", was an MLB center fielder for 22 seasons with the New York/San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets. He won two National League MVP awards, ended his career with 660 home runs, and won a record-tying 12 Gold Glove awards. Mays shares the record of most All-Star Games played with 24, the same number as his jersey. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979. He died in 2024 at age 93.

About John Shea

JOHN SHEA is the award-winning national baseball columnist at the San Francisco Chronicle and Willie Mays's longtime acquaintance. He has written several books, including the autobiography of Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, Off Base: Confessions of a Thief. He is seen regularly on MLB Network and NBC Sports Bay Area and has contributed to ESPN.com, The Sporting News, and USA Today.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jeff on June 08, 2020

Willie Mays did the impossible on the baseball field and John Shea has done the impossible by writing a boring book about the greatest baseball player of all time. Shea did his work, interviewing 200 people and spending a lot of time with Willie but this a very slow and boring read. The conceit of t......more

Goodreads review by Bookreporter.com on June 14, 2020

There have been many books written about Willie Mays, but the Hall of Fame ballplayer wanted something different. According to John Shea, Mays’ collaborator on 24 and an award-winning national baseball writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, his subject said, “I’d like to see this book in classrooms.......more

Goodreads review by Ryan on June 08, 2022

This is a really really good story showing the life of Willie Mays and from his point of view and other point of views. This book shows what Willie had to go through with the color barrier and how he is one of the big parts even though Jackie Robinson was the main guy. Willie Mays is one the best ba......more

Goodreads review by Dacy on February 24, 2023

Great book to gear up for baseball season. Willie Mays has lived an incredible life and has shown through his actions how to be a great role model and pioneer for those who have come after him. This book gets 4 stars instead of 5 from me because of some historical inaccuracies.......more

Goodreads review by Kevin on June 10, 2020

I’m sometimes wary of co-authored autobiographies, because I question how much of the subject’s voice I’m really hearing, but that was not the case here. John Shea interweaves his own voice with Mays’ in a way that really works well. The result is an informative and inspirational look at the career......more


Quotes

"The tag-team narration here fits wonderfully: Larry Herron speaks in a serious and deep tone that is commanding, with appropriate doses of emotion. Julian McWilliams uses a higher voice for Mays who, in fact, does have a slightly high voice. Often, when people are quoted--like President Obama--imitations are used and fit seamlessly within the story. Off- and on-the-field anecdotes are interspersed with brief pieces of advice and mini-mantras from the baseball great." - Audiofile Magazine


Awards

  • Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year