The Los Angeles Dodgers are mourning the passing of one of their legendary players in the sixties and seventies.
Maury Wills, the shortstop of those successful 1960s Dodgers, represents a huge loss for those who loved him, and that includes longtime Dodgers fans who saw him play.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened by the passing of Dodger legend Maury Wills. Our thoughts are with Wills’ family, teammates and friends,” the team tweeted.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened by the passing of Dodger legend Maury Wills. Our thoughts are with Wills’ family, teammates and friends. pic.twitter.com/zCtmuSUB0o
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2022
Wills was a seven-time All-Star (1961–1963, 1965, 1966) who won three World Series rings with the Dodgers (1959, 1963, 1965).
He won the 1962 NL MVP after hitting .299/.347/.373 with a then-record 104 stolen bases, scoring 130 runs that year, too.
Two Gold Glove Awards (1961, 1962) and six stolen base crowns (1960–1965) complete his excellent resume.
While he flirted with the Hall of Fame on several occasions (including the Veteran’s Committee) he didn’t achieve induction at any point.
Still, he is a beloved member of the Dodgers community.
Excellent Numbers
He retired with a .281 batting average, 2,134 hits, 20 home runs, 458 RBI, and 586 stolen bases.
Over the course of his MLB playing career, he wore Dodgers (1959–1966), Pittsburgh Pirates (1967–1968), and Montreal Expos (1969) uniforms.
After he played in Montreal in 1969, he returned to the Dodgers until 1972 to retire.
Wills also managed for a bit: he was the skipper of the Seattle Mariners between 1980 and 1981, but had a poor 26-56 record.
Wills was a key player during that Dodgers’ run in the sixties, but perhaps his biggest contribution to the game back then was reviving the stolen base as a legitimate weapon.
There had been a dip in the stat before he established himself as one of the premier stolen base threats in baseball for a decade.
He will be missed.
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