“I’m not sure what the hell charisma is, but I get the feeling it’s Willie Mays.”
— Ted Kluszewski Photo: Associated Press
Photo: The New York Times
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Harold Filan/Associated Press
Photo: Harry Adams
Photo: Patrick A. Burns/The New York Times
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Daniel Kanights
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Loomis Dean/LIFE Pictures
Photo: Arthur Rickerby/LIFE Pictures
Photo: Fairfield Industrial High School
Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/LIFE Pictures
Photo: Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Charles Hoff/NY Daily News Archive
Photo: Dave Pickoff
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Jean Fruth/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Bettmann
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Michael Nagle
Image: via MLB Film Room
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Sports Illustrated
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
Photo: SF Chronicle
Photo: Brad Mangin
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Rogers Photo Archive
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Collection of Rick Swig
Photo: Ernie Sisto/The New York Times
Photo: Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Neil Leifer
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Collection of Willie Mays
Photo: Ted Streshinsky
Photo: Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Art Rickerby/The LIFE Picture Collection
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Monica M. Davey
Photo: John Dominis/LIFE Pictures
Photo: Sport Heroes Magazine
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Joe Rosenthal/The Chronicle
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Collection of Willie Mays
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Joe Rosenthal/The Chronicle
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Photo: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Photo: Minnesota Historical Society/Corbis Historical
Photo: Don Wingfield/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Photo: Sports Illustrated
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Ken McLaughlin/The Chronicle
Photo: Ella Fitzgerald Collection, Archives Center
Photo: Loomis Dean/Time & Life Pictures
Photo: Bettmann
Image: HBO
Photo: Harry Harris/Associated Press
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Ezra Shaw
Photo: Unknown
Photo: Loomis Dean/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: T .H. Hayes Collection/Memphis Public Library
Photo: Alfred Eisenstaedt/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Ralph Morse/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: Ralph Morse/LIFE Pictures/Shutterstock
Photo: Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Libraries
Photo: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Photo: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Osvaldo Salas/Collection of Rick Swig
Photo: Collection of Willie Mays
Photo: Memphis and Shelby County Room, Memphis Public Libraries
Photo: Minnesota Historical Society
Photo: Osvaldo Salas/Collection of Rick Swig
Photo: Daniel Murphy
Photo: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Brad Mangin
Photo: Michael Zagaris
Photo: Collection of Rick Swig
Photo: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Image Source: Institute for Baseball Studies
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Art Frisch/The Chronicle
Photo: Focus on Sport
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Rick Swig
Photo: Associated Press
Photo: Hy Peskin
Photo: Ed Maloney
Photo: Bettmann
Photo: Bettmann
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Associated Press
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Image Source: San Francisco Giants
Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP
“He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw and field. And he had the other magic ingredient that turns a superstar into a SUPER-superstar. Charisma.”
— Leo Durocher