The Dodgers announced today that the three-time World Series champion Maury Wills passed away. He was 89 years old.
Wills has had an extremely impressive career, spanning 14 different major seasons. He made his debut as a short-term player with the Dodgers in 1959 at the age of 26. He played in 83 games that season and then six more in the World Series, with the Dodgers lifting the following trophy. when defeating the White Sox. In 1960, Wills played a full season for the first time, scoring 50 goals. It was the first of what would eventually come to an end as six years of running as the top base stealer in the National League, with at least 35 in each year of that period and a whopping 104 in 1962. That 104 mark was a modern-day single-season MLB record at the time, until Lou Brock hit 118 in 1974. It wasn’t just an impressive game that year. Wills also hit .299, hit 13 doubles, 10 triples, six long balls and scored 130 runs. He was voted National League Player of the Year that year, just before Willie Mays.
Wills was with the Dodgers throughout the 1966 season, winning two more titles in 1963 and 1965. He also won the Golden Glove award in 1961 and 1962 and played in seven All-Star games during the year. season, in 1961 there were two games. and 1962. He then went on to play two seasons for the Pirates, before being selected to the draft expansion for the newly formed Montreal Expos. He was traded back to the Dodgers in June 1969 and remained with them until the end of the 1972 season.
After his playing days were over, Wills spent some time as a broadcaster before trying his hand at management. He was hired to manage the Mariners during the 1980s season, although his stint as captain was not very successful and ultimately short-lived. Team M went 20-38 for the remainder of the 1980 campaign and then started 6-18 in 1981. He was fired at that point and was not given another shot, to giving him a 26-56 management record.
In the end, Wills will surely be remembered for his incredible base-stealing abilities. Over 1,942 games in his career, he has stolen 586 bases, a mark that places him 20th on the all-time base stealers list. He also scored 1,067 runs and scored 2,134 hits, including 177 doubles, 71 triples and 20 home runs. He has won three World Series rings, seven All-Star appearances, two Golden Glove awards, and an MVP award.
