He was "The Say Hey Kid,” a baseball legend who redefined the game with unmatched speed, power, and flair. Willie Mays transcended the playing...
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Praise
I found Mr. Hayes’ book "14 Going on 24: Growing Up With Willie Mays" a wonderfully nostalgic trek through the subtle real-life nuances of our national pastime and its historical social influences. His ability to capture the cultural significance of my father’s character and impact as narrated through the Forrest Gump-like eyes of his central character was heartwarming.
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-- Michael Mays, son of Willie, screenwriter, Founder/Chairman of the Youth Rescue Project
Larry Hayes has written a splendid book on Willie Mays. It’s fiction, yet when you read through the pages of "14 Going On 24: Growing Up With Willie Mays", it feels real, as if you were side by side with the characters, including the Say Hey Kid himself. The author has keen knowledge and insight on Mays, so much so that some of the specifics he provides are known only by a select few.
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-- John Shea, national sportswriter and co-author (with Willie Mays) of The New York Times best-seller — 24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid.
Larry Hayes is an exceptional baseball researcher, but this book goes far beyond the archives. It beautifully weaves the story of baseball’s grip on a teenager growing up in 1950s New York City with themes of heroes, friendship, and the enduring legacy of one of the game’s all-time greats. This book succeeds not only in its rich historical detail but also in illuminating the lesser-known interpersonal qualities of the great Willie Mays.
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-- Dan Massey, Mensa member & 5-time Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) trivia champion.
