My opinion of Willie Mays has changed.....

[ffgameman]

Off the main topic, but I will say that many of you have lost respect in my book for how RGBII was treated.

Richard is one of the most passionate collectors you will ever meet, as well as one of the most generous. He truly cares about this hobby. Yes, he is outspoken - but at least he doesn't spew hatred (or worse) at other members like some of you do for no reason.

Will I get blasted for this? Probably, yes. But, I don't care. Richard and I disagree on many things, but you not find someone who cares more about this hobby and fellow collectors.

I think many of us were scratching our heads as to why he was accusing people of spewing racist comments and then getting upset for being accused of racism when clearly no one did...

His first post on his board - he admits to being highly medicated - I just chalked it up to that :lol:

You gotta know Richard (as a collector) to get the meds part. :lol:

 

[TomMurry]

His first post on his board - he admits to being highly medicated - I just chalked it up to that :lol:

Maybe he should sign things "Play High" rather than "Play Hard"

 

[ffgameman]

His first post on his board - he admits to being highly medicated - I just chalked it up to that :lol:

Maybe he should sign things "Play High" rather than "Play Hard"

*sigh* ::facepalm::

 

[predatorkj]

Rather than wondering, i did the math:

Year Contract Inflation Value Today
1973 $170,000.00 5.08 $863,600.00
1972 $170,000.00 5.25 $892,500.00
1971 $170,000.00 5.43 $923,100.00
1970 $180,000.00 5.73 $1,031,400.00
1969 $180,000.00 6.08 $1,094,400.00
1968 $170,000.00 6.37 $1,082,900.00
1967 $160,000.00 6.56 $1,049,600.00
1966 $150,000.00 6.79 $1,018,500.00
1965 $140,000.00 6.92 $968,800.00
1964 $130,000.00 6.99 $908,700.00
1963 $120,000.00 7.1 $852,000.00
1962 $110,000.00 7.2 $792,000.00
1961 $100,000.00 7.25 $725,000.00
1960 $90,000.00 7.35 $661,500.00
1959 $80,000.00 7.47 $597,600.00
1958 $70,000.00 7.6 $532,000.00
1957 $60,000.00 7.82 $469,200.00
1956 $50,000.00 8.06 $403,000.00
1955 $30,000.00 8.09 $242,700.00
1954 $21,250.00 8.03 $170,637.50
1953 $12,500.00 8.09 $101,125.00
1952 $7,500.00 8.15 $61,125.00
1951 $5,000.00 8.64 $43,200.00
1950 $6,000.00 9.15 $54,900.00

Total $2,382,250.00 $15,539,487.50
Average Year $99,260.42 $647,478.65

So that's 15.5 million in his CAREER inflated for today's dollars.

Barry Zito made 18.5 million THIS YEAR, and last year, and next year, then 19 million, then 20 million, then 18 million again.

So yeah, Willie can charge whatever he wants for his signature,

Even with all of that said...he got paid what even by today's standards would be considered low up through 1954. But by 1955...he started making okay money even by today's standards. I could certainly live off of $30,000 and do so on much less quite regularly now. But from 1956 on up...he made good money even by today's standards. Take 1960 for instance. I couldn't even imagine making 90 grand a year. I'd have some nice stuff and an awesome home. Now maybe his money wasn't in line with ball players make these days but these days...its downright dumb what these players make. I could see them making a couple MIL a year but somebody brought up Zito making 18 million or something in one year...yeah...that's dumb.

And talk to your grandfolks and find out what it would have been like had you made 90,000 in 1960. Yeah...

 

[predatorkj]

Willie Mays is Willie Mays. He was Great and he knew it! Same with his godson.

They were cocky baseball players so what makes you think they wont be cocky off the field too?

I met him 3 times back in 80's and he was nice to me. I judge him for that alone.

You guys judge a former baseball player by the way he treated you in the 30 seconds you stood in front of him at some lame card show. uh OK

Most of you are trying to cash in on him in some way or another. And if you dont get your way, your upset. uh OK

Yeah cause at $300 a pop...there is a way to cash in. Jeez...at least know what you are talking about before you say it. You sound like one of these people running the free auto events who think everyone is a dealer.

 

[predatorkj]

A 79 year old man (Hall of Famer) is being openly attacked
on a "cardboard forum."

He is commomly known as "one of, if not, the greatest" center
fielders of all time. Well. I guess that and $1.59 will buy you a
cup of coffee.

He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1931. I can not imagine
what he went through growing up in that vile and vicious
place at that time for a black man.

I'm a Georgia boy myself, so I'M QUITE SURE that I have
the background and 48 years of knowledge on when to
call a redneck(s) out.

He is an old man coming to the end of a remarkable life.
He has overcome many hurdles that you or I will never
conceive.

. . . and yet, we have this tripe!

I need a shower at this point.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

Oh give it a break. I had plenty of ass beatings and worse growing up in a Mexican neighborhood. Want to a cry a river then fine. But I don't, nor do others, want to hear it.

 

[predatorkj]

So as Jabbar prepares to sign the litho, he notices O.J. Simpson is depicted and he proceeds to put a big black "X" through O.J.'s picture (and signature).

Needless to say, the customer is PISSED!

If memory serves me correctly, the customer was escorted out of the show and not compensated.

What a great lawsuit for destruction of property. Name your price on that one as it is likely (was likely to be, I guess) a 1 of a kind item.

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[jbhofmann]

Willie Mays is hands down the most overated player in the history of baseball. Mays is WAY down in list in all time OPS. You can say guys like Bonds benefited from roids all you want, but even players from the same era like Williams, Mantle, DiMaggio and Musial were more productive. And before anyone says Mays stats are impacted by the end of his career, Mays has 4 seasons with an OPS above 1.000 while Ted Ball Game had 18!!!!!

This post has me actually laughing, and thats not something I often do while reading message boards!

Just so we are clear....

Aside from the fact(s) that he had almost three thousand three hundred hits, over one thousand nine hundred runs batted in, over three hundred and thirty stolen bases, a lifetime three hundred plus batting average, six hundred and sixty career home runs, multiple most valuable player awards, twenty all star game selections, eleven gold gloves, has led the league, and most multiple times, in ever single offensive statistical catagory ever comtemplated, and was a legend on defence. All of this means nothing, but the fact he ranks 29'th out of every single ball player to EVER play the game on a list soley comprised of future and current hall of famers makes him over rated? Nay, "hands down the most overated player in the history of baseball"? Am I understanding this correctly?

Please tell me you were joking!! Please tell me this is not what opinion has boiled down to! Please?

Well said. Mays deserves all the credit he gets.

 

[RL24]

Rather than wondering, i did the math:

Year Contract Inflation Value Today
1973 $170,000.00 5.08 $863,600.00
1972 $170,000.00 5.25 $892,500.00
1971 $170,000.00 5.43 $923,100.00
1970 $180,000.00 5.73 $1,031,400.00
1969 $180,000.00 6.08 $1,094,400.00
1968 $170,000.00 6.37 $1,082,900.00
1967 $160,000.00 6.56 $1,049,600.00
1966 $150,000.00 6.79 $1,018,500.00
1965 $140,000.00 6.92 $968,800.00
1964 $130,000.00 6.99 $908,700.00
1963 $120,000.00 7.1 $852,000.00
1962 $110,000.00 7.2 $792,000.00
1961 $100,000.00 7.25 $725,000.00
1960 $90,000.00 7.35 $661,500.00
1959 $80,000.00 7.47 $597,600.00
1958 $70,000.00 7.6 $532,000.00
1957 $60,000.00 7.82 $469,200.00
1956 $50,000.00 8.06 $403,000.00
1955 $30,000.00 8.09 $242,700.00
1954 $21,250.00 8.03 $170,637.50
1953 $12,500.00 8.09 $101,125.00
1952 $7,500.00 8.15 $61,125.00
1951 $5,000.00 8.64 $43,200.00
1950 $6,000.00 9.15 $54,900.00

Total $2,382,250.00 $15,539,487.50
Average Year $99,260.42 $647,478.65

So that's 15.5 million in his CAREER inflated for today's dollars.

Barry Zito made 18.5 million THIS YEAR, and last year, and next year, then 19 million, then 20 million, then 18 million again.

So yeah, Willie can charge whatever he wants for his signature,

Even with all of that said...he got paid what even by today's standards would be considered low up through 1954. But by 1955...he started making okay money even by today's standards. I could certainly live off of $30,000 and do so on much less quite regularly now. But from 1956 on up...he made good money even by today's standards. Take 1960 for instance. I couldn't even imagine making 90 grand a year. I'd have some nice stuff and an awesome home. Now maybe his money wasn't in line with ball players make these days but these days...its downright dumb what these players make. I could see them making a couple MIL a year but somebody brought up Zito making 18 million or something in one year...yeah...that's dumb.

And talk to your grandfolks and find out what it would have been like had you made 90,000 in 1960. Yeah...

Here's the difference though.... Grandpa was a doctor in 1960 and made $90,000. How much does a doctor make today? $661,500.00. Imagine though that Grandpa was much better than the guy who made $661,500.00. He would probably be pretty bitter that the kids today who couldn't hold his jock as a doc make so much more than him.

Now imagine if Grandpa made $90,000 in 1960 as a baseball player. And now, players who aren't as good as he was... they don't make $661,500.00. They make 38X that amount. They make $25 million a year. And they aren't as good as Grandpa Willie.

 

[HPC]

Willie Mays = Burbank of autographers

:lol:

 

[RGBII]

A 79 year old man (Hall of Famer) is being openly attacked
on a "cardboard forum."

He is commomly known as "one of, if not, the greatest" center
fielders of all time. Well. I guess that and $1.59 will buy you a
cup of coffee.

He was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1931. I can not imagine
what he went through growing up in that vile and vicious
place at that time for a black man.

I'm a Georgia boy myself, so I'M QUITE SURE that I have
the background and 48 years of knowledge on when to
call a redneck(s) out.

He is an old man coming to the end of a remarkable life.
He has overcome many hurdles that you or I will never
conceive.

. . . and yet, we have this tripe!

I need a shower at this point.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII

Oh give it a break. I had plenty of ass beatings and worse growing up in a Mexican neighborhood. Want to a cry a river then fine. But I don't, nor do others, want to hear it.

Lovely and profound, I stand corrected.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII.

 

[JoshHamilton]

RGBII, you're a weirdo

 

[FortyFour]

RGBII, you're a weirdo

Collect Hard!

 

[trademhigh]

RGBII, you're a weirdo

Collect Hard!!
Trademhigh

 

[JoshHamilton]

Haha

 

[elmalo]

There was a thread not so long ago about how he charges like $75+ for autographs when he does signings. That alone says a lot about his character in my opinion.

What does making money have to do with his character?

 

[Hallsgator]

There was a thread not so long ago about how he charges like $75+ for autographs when he does signings. That alone says a lot about his character in my opinion.

What does making money have to do with his character?

Pretty sure the opinions why have been stated over and over again in this thread and others.

 

[mchenrycards]

I cant believe I am reading some of the crap that you guys have posted about a player 95% of you have never seen play except for the clips you see on TV. Willie Mays was one of the best of his generation and to call him overrated is like saying Elvis was just a guy who made a few records in his lifetime. Willie Mays, in my opinion was not overrated but possibly underrated. He was overshadowed by Mickey and the Duke and was never really appreciated for the 5 tool ballplayer that he was. He, along with Roberto Clemente were the greatest of all time at their position. As others have said, dont judge Willie on 30 seconds you had with him at a card show. Can he be a pain in the ass? sure he can. But to downgrade his skills and achievements because he didnt sign your autograph perfectly is just stupid and narrow minded.

Oh and by the way....Willie is NOT charging 300 bucks for an autograph, the promoter is. Willie sets his fee and the promoter decides how much to charge to cover his cost and make a profit. He is allowed to set his price and if the market does not support that price he will have to rethink his fee structure. I remember in the Chicago area when the Bears won their Super Bowl Jim McMahon was in high demand. He was charging 50K for a two hour autograph appearance. Many said that was an outrageous fee and his response was " I dont want to do these shows, if they want me they have to pay my price, nobody is twisting anyone's arm to pay me this fee."

So get it straight...WIllie himself is not charging for autographs....the promoter is. I am pretty sure Willie does not need to do card shows at this stage in his life. I am confident that he feels if you want him to come to your event, you will pay!

 

[zach]

Wow! Just getting back to this thread. I never thought it would go 8 pages and contain so much BS and inane stuff. Some of you really know how to drag on the proverbial pissing contest.

Who cares what he charges. If you don't like the amount then don't pay it. It's not that difficult.

I'm glad I had a chance to experience something that many won't. From meeting Presidents and world leaders to other celebrities, this is one of the more memorable ones.

 

[RGBII]

Wow! Just getting back to this thread. I never thought it would go 8 pages and contain so much BS and inane stuff. Some of you really know how to drag on the proverbial pissing contest.

Who cares what he charges. If you don't like the amount then don't pay it. It's not that difficult.

I'm glad I had a chance to experience something that many won't. From meeting Presidents and world leaders to other celebrities, this is one of the more memorable ones.

Well put, well written and appreciated.

Collect Hard!,
RGBII